Rush
by mikotyzini
Summary: Weiss always knew what life had in store for her - she would grow up, marry the man her parents had chosen, and live out the rest of her days in a cold, lonely mansion. A path set in stone, she didn't dare dream of anything else - she didn't dare desire anything else. Until she met Ruby.
1. Chapter 1

**Very short teaser chapter here. But this story will end up being novel length (80k words or so). This is my first attempt at some serious White Rose, so I hope I can create something enjoyable! It will be heavy White Rose with just a dash of Bumblebee.**

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Perception was a funny thing sometimes.

To onlookers and passersby, this was the happiest day of her life - dressed in an exquisite white dress, surrounded by thousands of red roses, standing in a beautiful church, minutes from marrying one of the city's most eligible bachelors…

Vale's most elite had gathered for the big day, anxiously waiting just through a pair of heavy, solid oak doors. And, for the first time in years, her mother was practically giddy with happiness.

Perception…

But reality...reality was staring her straight in the face.

As liquid silver eyes pooled with tears in front of her, she felt the remainder of her heart crumble to dust. Soft hands clutching hers tightly only amplified the pain - pain of her own doing.

"Please...Weiss, you can't marry him. I know you don't love him...I know you love me!"

What had brought her to this moment - when perception was so far removed from reality? How had her life, which had been scripted since birth, suddenly been flipped completely upside down?

It had all started on that cool, fall day, several months ago…


	2. Chapter 2

**Alright, let's start this for real! But first, THANK YOU for all the follows so far! Wow, you guys really have a tremendous amount of faith in me - I truly hope to deliver something amazing with this one. **

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Strolling down a narrow aisle hedged by long, wooden tables on either side, she reached out one hand and lightly brushed it across silky petals and firm green leaves. She liked the way the delicate flowers bowed gently under her touch before springing back to the way they once were - the plants refusing to bend to her whim for very long. Tiny, white name cards in front of each row of potted plants identified the species.

Orchids, lilies, tulips, roses, poinsettias...

With the ceiling arching high above her head and sunlight beating through the panes of glass, it was warm inside the building, even a little stuffy. Certainly not a comfortable temperature for a person to exist in, but the flowers thrived in the environment - their various colors beautiful enough for a painting while the air was filled with their fragrance.

The store had lived up to its reputation as the best flower shop in Vale - it didn't seem like there was a single type of plant, no matter how exotic, that could not be found within the massive enclosed greenhouse.

Carnations, sunflowers, violets, peonies…

Of course, if they hadn't been deemed the 'best,' there was no way she would be here to begin with. Because, to her mother, only the best would be remotely acceptable. They would never have even set foot inside a sub-par greenery.

Dropping her hand to her side, she turned down the next aisle of plants in pursuit of her mother and the attendant who had been assigned to assist them. The middle-aged woman was babbling on and on about every flower they passed, with her mother listening intently. Each plant was critiqued with an icy blue gaze before a curt shake of the head would move them on to the next contestant.

Neither of the women seemed to care much that her attention was elsewhere. They were too busy trying to pick out the _perfect_ flower with the _perfect _color and the _perfect_ smell - because if it wasn't _perfect_, the world was likely on the verge of being destroyed by a Schnee sized hissy fit.

It was just as well...she didn't really care much what flowers were decided upon in the end.

Midway through this aisle, her wandering eyes caught sight of a set of double doors midway through the building. Although closed, these doors were also made of glass, providing a view of the outdoor display area directly beyond. There were several more tables outside, with only a few trays of flowers sitting upon them.

"I'm going to go look around," she directed towards the two women in front of her - who either didn't hear her words or didn't care to respond.

Taking silence as acceptance of her departure, she walked over to the door and hesitantly pushed down on the long metal door handle. Finding it was unlocked, she shoved it open and walked outside, allowing the door to swing shut behind her.

The cool autumn air felt like a breath of relief after being in the warm, muggy greenhouse for so long. The chill nipped at her cheeks and hands, but she found the feeling to be invigorating rather than unwelcome - the bite of approaching winter breathing life back into her bones. Glancing around, she found herself on the very edge of the store's property, a short metal railing hemming her in on three sides, with the building behind. Directly across the street from her was the entrance to a small neighborhood park.

Absentmindedly dragging her hand across the few flowers that could survive the cool weather outside, she made her way to the row of wooden tables separating her from the sidewalk. Running her fingers along the leaves of the plants placed directly in front of her, she turned her eyes towards the park to watch the people.

Joggers, walkers, passersby...they all looked like they were having a good day despite the recent onset of cold weather. It had been unseasonably warm until just a few days ago, when fall had finally decided to loudly announce its presence. But, regardless of the new chill in the air, everyone seemed to be enjoying the last of their dwindling opportunity to enjoy the outdoors.

A small bark drew her attention then to a girl who was clearly having a _great _day.

The young brunette was wearing jeans, a dark red zip-up hoodie and sneakers, but it wasn't her appearance that was altogether eye catching - it was the sight of her chasing a tiny, grey and white dog around a metal park bench, giggling hysterically while she did so.

The dog ran in tight circles, using his diminutive size to his advantage while making rapid turns around the bench. The girl seemed to be fast and agile too, but nowhere near quick enough to catch her small pet.

Other people were watching the pair too, but the girl didn't seem to notice or didn't care if they did. They passed by with a curious look or a small grin - but none interrupted the unspoken game taking place.

The two continued like this for several loops until, all of a sudden, the dog was chasing _her_ instead of the other way around.

The girl squealed when the dynamic suddenly switched, racing away as fast as she could while the tiny creature nipped playfully at her ankles. At several points, the dog did manage to grab ahold of the back of her pant leg, drawing another loud squeal into the air.

In an attempt to cleverly escape, the girl suddenly tried to hop over the bench - only for her right foot to catch on the back of it and send her crashing head first to the grass with a thud that could be heard even across the street.

Weiss felt her hands still their movement while concern filled her, wondering if she should call out to the girl or run to get help - that was, until the brunette began laughing - the light, merry sound waffling across the street to her ears.

She relaxed into a smile when the dog jumped onto the girl's chest and sat down - claiming his victory with a small bark.

"Weiss! There you are…"

Pulling her hand quickly back to her side, she turned around at the sound of her mother's slightly annoyed voice - finding the woman striding purposefully through the greenhouse doors with the clerk in tow.

"They can fly in the _most_ exquisite roses from Atlas!" her mother said, clearly pleased by the prospect of ordering flowers from a far off place. "Is there a particular color you would like?"

"We can order white, yellow, pink -"

"Red," she answered easily before the attendant's list had even finished. Throwing one more glance across the road, she found the girl in red still lying contentedly on the ground.

Aware of who was truly in charge of the decisions, the saleswoman first looked to her mother for approval. Only after receiving a small nod did the woman respond cheerfully.

"Excellent choice! That color will be wonderful for a winter wedding."

Returning the woman's wide grin with a thin smile of her own, she obediently followed the two back into the stifling building when they turned to leave.

With the color and flower now decided upon, her mother wanted to talk quantities, prices, and delivery dates - one area where Weiss had absolutely no say at all. Not that she was very interested anyway...

"I'm going take a short walk," she said, not wanting to spend anymore time in this sticky building than absolutely necessary. Plus, they didn't really need her presence anymore - not that they had needed her there to begin with.

Her mother waved her away, not pausing her words for a second.

If she had to guess, the woman was probably glad to be rid of her for a little awhile. The more time they spent alone together, the more their glaring differences came to light.

It was difficult...for both of them.

Heading straight for the front exit, she pushed open the door with a sigh of relief. Just a few minutes of peace - a few minutes to be free. No more this flower or this flower or this flower - just the cold air and her, nothing else.

Nothing else, until her eyes flitted over to the park.

Well, she had said she wanted to go for a walk, after all. And what better place to go for a walk than a park?

Crossing the street, her eyes instantly sought out the brunette - finding her moments later in the exact same spot. The girl now had her eyes closed, enjoying the sunshine cutting through the cold while absentmindedly petting the dog curled upon her stomach.

Butterflies fluttered in her own stomach as her footsteps steadily drew her closer to the girl.

She was nervous - which was absolutely foolish. What could she possibly have to be nervous about? She was just _walking_ for chrissakes. This was a public park - anyone was free to walk where they wished. Plus, the girl was lying right beside the main trail, so it was only natural that Weiss would need to pass by her in order to continue her stroll.

The dog noticed her approach first, opening his eyes and raising his head when she was just a few feet away. A small, bushy tail began to swing rapidly back and forth in greeting, mouth opening and tongue lolling out in a happy pant.

Following the pathway should have taken her right past the pair, but her feet stopped - pausing her movement just a short distance away.

"C-cute dog."

She immediately chided herself for stuttering such a simple phrase. She was a Schnee - Schnees didn't stutter, _especially _not for random strange girls lying upon the ground.

But the girl's eyes flew open at her call, revealing the prettiest silver eyes she had ever seen. Picking the dog off her stomach and setting him carefully on the ground, the brunette popped to her feet with an easy smile - brushing off her back where some blades of grass and dirt had clung to her clothing.

Weiss was transfixed for several seconds - standing rooted to the spot as she realized she'd never seen a true smile before today, and she'd never seen such jaw droppingly beautiful eyes before. Only after the shock of the blinding grin had worn off did she notice that the girl was several inches taller than her, with long, lithe limbs that seemed to ripple with concealed muscles and unreleased energy.

"Thank you!" the girl responded happily, eyes looking intently into her own while a smile froze upon her features.

Feeling blood rush to her cheeks under the girl's metallic gaze, she turned her attention towards the dog instead.

There was something overpowering about the energy stemming from the brunette...something that threatened to unravel all the manners Weiss had learned over the course of her life - reducing her to a stuttering, rudely staring plebeian.

"What's his name?" she asked, taking one small step forward onto the grass to say hello to the small creature.

"Oh - sorry, this is Zwei!"

"Zwei…" she repeated thoughtfully, crouching down and carefully extending one hand for the dog to sniff - which he did, before promptly licking her fingers.

A giggle escaped her when Zwei insisted she scratch his belly, flopping onto his back while his tail whipped across the grass with pleasure, his mouth hanging open with a long, red tongue lolling happily out to the side.

"Zwei is a cute name," she said before standing up and turning back to the girl - who still had that same giddy smile on her face, but seemed to have very few words to say.

"Um...do you come here often?"

The question snapped the brunette out of her intense analysis, while at the same moment unleashing a powerful storm of fidgety energy.

"Yup! I walk him everyday - we live nearby!" the girl replied quickly, gesturing her hand in one direction while running her other hand quickly through her short brunette hair, allowing the strands to fall easily back into place. At the same time, she bounced up and down on the balls of her feet in an apparently futile effort to dissolve more energy.

It was an entertaining display, to say the least.

Suddenly leaning very close to Weiss, the brunette whispered behind one hand, "He's kind of a spoiled brat..."

Zwei barked in protest, drawing a laugh from each of them while Weiss nonchalantly took one step backwards - the proximity quickly scrambling what nerves she had remaining.

The girl smelled like flowers...

"I'm Ruby, by the way," the brunette finally introduced herself, one hand shooting towards Weiss.

"Weiss," she replied, politely shaking the girl's hand with a smile.

"Weiss...Weiss…" Ruby said, expression thoughtful while she tried out the feel of the word in her mouth before nodding in approval, lips curling into another delightful smile.

"That's a super cool name! So, Weiss, what are you doing here...Weiss?"

"Just picking out some flowers across the street."

She smiled at the girl in amusement while gesturing to the store behind her, silently wondering just how much energy this slender being could contain.

Ruby glanced quickly over her shoulder, doing a double take when she noticed something.

"Oh - uh, it looks like that lady's trying to get your attention!"

Following Ruby's gaze, Weiss turned and found her mother beckoning her impatiently back across the street.

It must be time for them to leave.

"Is that your mom? Wow, you're both _super_ pretty!"

She flushed deep red at the compliment, blood again rushing to her cheeks faster than ever before.

What was the girl thinking, throwing around compliments like that? Who complimented a stranger when there was nothing to be gained from it?

"Yes, that's my mother...I should really get going. But it was very nice to meet you, Ruby. You too, Zwei."

After stooping down to give the dog one last pet, she gave Ruby a small wave before beginning her walk back across the street to rejoin her mother.

"Nice to meet you too, Weiss! Maybe we'll see you again sometime!" the brunette called after her.

Her mother began giving her a recap of what had been arranged as soon as she was within earshot - leading the way back to the sleek black limousine that had been patiently waiting for them this entire time. Their driver, an immaculately dressed man wearing an expensive black suit, opened the passenger door for her mother first before motioning Weiss in as well.

Before entering the vehicle, she spared one last glance towards the park just in time to see Ruby and Zwei walk down one of the trails - the brunette still with a content smile upon her face. Satisfied with that last glimpse, she slid onto the leather seat in the rear of the vehicle before the door clicked softly shut behind her.

As the vehicle's engine came to life and her mother pulled out her phone to make a call to a friend, her thoughts were allowed to drift once more - almost alarmingly refusing to leave the image of her most recent acquaintance.

The girl's appearance had been anything but exceptional - she carried no designer bag… wore no expensive shoes...the entire outfit cost maybe fifty Lien...probably less. According to everything Weiss had ever learned from her parents, there was absolutely nothing extraordinary about the brunette.

But those silver eyes...that effortless smile…

Something about Ruby was far more than ordinary.


	3. Chapter 3

**I've sold my soul to this story - quite literally. I even stopped writing Red Carpet Romance because I'm SO absorbed in this! I just need to edit faster instead of forging further ahead...**

**Anyway, enjoy!**

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"And the flowers are going to be absolutely _stunning_ \- especially if we get a fresh snow the night before."

Her mother had refused to stop talking about the flowers for the past couple hours - the topic of conversation continuing even to the dining room where the three of them currently sat for dinner.

"Well, can't control the weather, dear."

She refrained from rolling her eyes at her father's obvious statement, although he likely wouldn't have noticed from his spot at the very end of the table. Or with his eyes trained to his phone like they always were.

"Weiss, wouldn't it be just _gorgeous_ if it did snow?"

Obediently raising her eyes at the direct question, she forced a pleasant smile.

"Yes, it would be beautiful."

Her mother hummed appreciatively at the validation while going back to her own meal, using her silverware with refinement gleamed only through decades of meticulously planned dinners.

The customary silence descended upon the table once more, broken only by the occasional clink of silverware on china as they continued their meal. Weiss turned her attention back to her own plate, which was still relatively filled with food - her appetite seeming to dwindle right along with the temperature outside.

Dinners in their household were always held in the dining room - an enormous area with high ceilings and a singular long, rectangular table. The dining table was made of the most expensive mahogany that could be found, the edges intricately carved by some master craftsman in a remote region of the world. The piece of furniture was giant - big enough to accommodate twenty seats, easily. Of course, it was usually only the three of them seated there.

For a family that did little in terms of bonding together, they did manage to eat nearly all of their dinners together - a near mandate if in the house at dinnertime. Very rarely was she granted permission to take her dinner in her room - a luxury she saved for the times she was in more dire need of a temporary separation.

She'd learned how to navigate dinners and emerge relatively unscathed, but that didn't mean she enjoyed them. The only thing worse than the lifeless conversation was the absence of any conversation entirely - a silence brought upon by having nothing of interest to say to one another.

Recently though, there had been a little more conversation than usual - with her mother wishing to speak of the wedding preparations over a meal.

It was rather surprising how much interest her mother had in planning the wedding - the woman was approaching it with so much gusto, it would have been easy to mistake it as her own. Honestly, Weiss had been surprised that she'd been allowed to make the decision on what color the roses should be.

Although, more realistically, her decision had only escaped being vetoed because her mother had agreed with her answer.

But it was probably for the best that her mother took charge of all the planning - because Weiss certainly wasn't interested. If it was left up to her, she would be married at the courthouse with no gown, no flowers, no food, and no guests.

Actually, if it was truly up to her, there would be no wedding at all.

So her mother being in charge worked out for the better. This way, everyone would get what they wanted - everyone except Weiss, of course.

Spearing another tiny potato with her fork and placing it in her mouth, her attention was drawn away from her food when motion at one of the dining room entrances caught her eye. Turning her head a fraction of an inch to better identify the intrusion, she caught sight of a pretty young woman rushing towards the table. She felt a frown threatening to crease her lips, but managed to keep her face impassive while she watched the new arrival approach her father's side.

Jezebel.

The blonde woman was hardly a few years Weiss' senior, but had _somehow_ already risen to the high ranks within her family's company - earning herself the _highly coveted_ position as her father's personal assistant.

With the woman's short business skirt revealing far too much tan, toned leg, and blouse leaving little to the imagination in terms of cleavage, she could only imagine what Jezebel's qualifications might be.

Several short conversations with the blonde had revealed that intelligence and sharp wit were not among them.

Regardless, the young woman was carrying a stack of important-looking files in her arms as if she had actually come to discuss business at this hour. Weiss watched dispassionately while the woman leaned close and whispered in the man's ear, her lips far too close to pretend it was a strictly professional relationship. Her father promptly removed the napkin from his lap and set it down on the table as he stood up.

"Work calls. You know where to find me if needed."

Her mother hummed obliviously while the pair walked out of the room - not bothering to look up from her own plate.

Her own blood heated up when she witnessed her father press his hand against the small of the woman's back to guide her back the way she'd come.

Yes, they did know where to find him...but they both knew very well not to disturb him while he was 'working.' He was a _very important_ man who had _very important_ matters to attend to...at this hour, with a woman who probably hadn't even graduated from high school.

Turning her gaze back to her plate, she found what had been remaining of her appetite had completely vanished - soiled with disgust over what she'd just observed.

Jezebel...the girl's mother must be proud...her daughter sleeping with a married man.

Not just any married man though - Fredrick Schnee, the richest man in all of Vale, if not the entire world.

Maybe her mother _was_ proud, after all...

Stealing another glance towards her own mother, she found the woman still calmly eating her dinner as if nothing had happened - slender hands mechanically cutting food into bite sized pieces before picking them up with a fork.

Her mother was far too clever of a woman not to see what was happening under her own roof...but there was nothing that could be done - her father held all the power in their relationship. If he was caught cheating, he would just buy her an extraordinarily expensive gift in apology. Which her mother would be forced to accept because...that's just how things worked in these relationships.

How depressing.

"May I be excused?" she asked, realizing that any further attempts to eat would be futile at this point.

Only after receiving a nod of approval did she stand from her chair - a waiter materializing and removing her place setting as soon as she did so.

She made her way from the dining room to the grand foyer, where the elegant double staircase would take her upstairs to the bedrooms.

Her shoes clicked against the hard, marble floors as she walked, feeling the cold air drifting up from the unforgiving material. The flooring was a beautiful pearly white with swirls of light brown, but, in her opinion, the beauty was often not worth the harshness she felt when walking upon it. And it certainly eliminated the prospect of ever walking around without shoes on, especially in colder weather.

Passing several members of the staff on her way towards the staircases, she received bows or curtsies as she walked by. Merely dipping her head in acknowledgement, she continued past them without so much as a word in greeting.

They didn't like her - she knew that. They thought she was spoiled, heartless, unforgiving - just like her mother. Her lack of an attempt at communication must mean she held disdain for them all, looking down upon them from her ivory pedestal.

She knew they called her the Ice Princess behind her back - a fitting nickname to go along with the Ice Queen.

In their eyes, her mother and her were two peas in a pod. Like mother, like daughter, the apple doesn't fall far from the tree.

What they didn't understand was that she wasn't _allowed_ to be kind or friendly to them, as she would like to be. That desire had been stamped right out of her when she was just a young girl…

She'd heard through various whispers in the hallways of the mansion that one of the housekeepers was having difficulty paying bills. Something about how their young son had just been diagnosed with an illness that required extensive medical attention.

At the time, it had seemed natural to try to help the woman. That's what her family did, wasn't it? They 'gave' large amounts of money each year to various charity organizations around Vale - she'd attended the events ever since she could remember.

They didn't know that when her mother had caught her giving away money to 'help' someone in need, she'd been slapped so hard across the face she'd nearly blacked out.

She could still remember the woman's screams - "We do _not_ give money to the servants - that's what their paychecks are for! Start giving them things and soon they'll think they own the place!"

Through her tears, she'd tried to explain that she was just trying to help, an explanation for which she'd received a vicious shake by her shoulders.

"They are _beneath_ you."

It had been hard to understand at that age...she'd been so young and naive. She'd thought that she was just being nice and helping people who needed a hand. Her family seemed to have more than enough money - after all, her parents were always handing her money when they wanted to keep her out of their hair.

But, as she'd matured, she grew to understand what her mother had been trying to say - or at least, what she _thought_ her mother had been trying to teach her.

Try as she might, she couldn't be friends with those less 'fortunate' than her. Even the children of the more influential families she'd been forced to spend time with...they all wanted to use her for something - her family's money, her family's name, her family's power…

Few of them seemed to understand that she held little control over any of those things. When they looked at her, all they saw was a Schnee - and being 'friends' with a Schnee would lead to great things.

The fake and phony friends had quickly exhausted her...and she'd found it was much more pleasant to be without any at all.

People like her just weren't meant to have true friends.

Ascending the left staircase, her feet finally found relief in the plush white carpeting on the second level. How difficult it was to keep such carpet so brilliantly white, she could not even fathom.

After turning to the left, she took the first hallway on her right towards her room. At the very end of the long hallway were the grand double doors that opened into a living space that probably dwarfed many individual homes.

The door swung open easily; the hinges likely oiled every other day to ensure her happiness.

Above the very entrance of the room hung a brilliant crystal chandelier which had been custom made for their family. The bed had been handcrafted in Vacuo, the armoire shipped from somewhere west of Atlas, the curtains covering the four large banks of towering windows handstitched here in Vale. Everything was colored in white or silver, with the furniture providing a stark mahogany contrast.

The bed being the most enticing piece of furniture at this moment, she walked over, carefully removed her shoes, and laid down on top of the sheets - the magnificently lush comforter cushioning her like her own personal cloud.

The chandelier held her gaze while she lay there - the intricate silver metal woven into amazing shapes and textures. The crystals hanging down glinting in the light as they waved back and forth, pushed by an invisible wind in the still room.

The color invariably brought her thoughts back to the girl she had met that afternoon.

Ruby...the girl who smelled like roses, who smiled effortlessly and radiated joy.

The girl who seemed to have genuinely _liked_ her without even knowing who she was.

Meeting the girl had been like taking a breath of fresh air, filling Weiss' lungs with something other than the staleness she was immersed in. It had opened her eyes to the fact that there might be people out there worth meeting, worth knowing, worth spending time with. Never before had she felt this rejuvenated and...excited...at the prospect of seeing someone again.

But Ruby...what kind of person are you? she pondered, feeling the smallest amount of doubt creep back into her consciousness.

Are you the type that dreams of power...wealth...success?

Or are your dreams filled with something else, entirely?

For the first time in years, she didn't know the answer.


	4. Chapter 4

**Thank you to everyone who's left reviews. There's no better way to convince me to write/post faster than by being excited about the story with me!**

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The next few days seemed to pass like they normally did - she woke up, accomplished whatever task her mother might instruct her to do, passed her free time mindlessly, then went to sleep.

But now...every piece of silver in the entire house reminded her of Ruby's eyes - keeping the girl at the forefront of her mind wherever she went.

The thought had occurred to her several times that she should go to the park around the same time of day and see if Ruby would be there...but having no legitimate reason for being in that area scared the idea away every time.

'What brings you back here again?' the girl would likely ask.

'Oh, I just stopped by to see if you would be here...'

There probably wasn't an easier way to acquire a restraining order against herself.

So she'd been forced to sit and dream and imagine...to wonder if their paths would indeed cross again.

By a stroke of luck, the perfect excuse presented itself just a few days later - and it was even her mother that got to deliver the good news, for a change.

"Weiss, the flower shop called and said they'll be receiving the samples of the roses this afternoon at four. But I already scheduled afternoon tea with Sarah -"

"I'll go see them," she immediately responded, the abruptness of her agreement causing her mother to raise her eyebrows in surprise.

But the woman thought nothing more of it.

"Yes, that's what I was going to suggest. Just make sure to be home in time for dinner."

Hiding a small smile from her mother, she nearly floated to her room in excitement.

Of course, she was just excited for the opportunity see the roses - spotting Ruby would be an added bonus, but certainly not anything she was counting on.

But what should she wear?

Walking to the far right wall of her bedroom, she threw open the doors to her closet. Stepping inside the comfortable room, the lights flickered on - illuminating rows upon rows of clothing and shoes stored inside. Ball gowns, cocktail attire, business attire, casual attire, any type of clothing a girl could ask for - with shoes to match.

Of course, she couldn't just anything. It had to be appropriately casual, but still fancy enough to make a good impression. The last thing she wanted to look like was a slouch, but she also didn't want to come off as unapproachable.

To the store employees, obviously. They were the ones handling her precious flowers, after all...

Jeans seemed the obvious answer for the locale, paired with a white v-neck blouse that probably wouldn't even be visible underneath her jacket. Her winter jacket was white, double breasted with six big, black buttons running in pairs down the front. But the best part was how the jacket flared out at the bottom just like a skirt - complete with a small layer of black tulle sticking out a few inches underneath.

It looked something like a combination of a jacket and a mini-skirt.

Once dressed and satisfied with her appearance, she made her way back downstairs and called for one of their drivers to take her to the flower shop.

On the drive there, she continually huffed in annoyance every time she felt her pulse trying to creep upward.

There was no reason to get her hopes up and _certainly_ no reason to be nervous. The girl probably wouldn't even be there. Just because Ruby had been there that one day around the same time didn't automatically mean she would be there again.

When the driver parked the car in front of the store and opened the passenger door for her, she stepped outside and immediately looked over to the park - even though she'd just sworn to herself that she wouldn't.

Fortunately (or unfortunately) there was no one recognizable across the street.

Thanking the man and instructing him to wait for her there, she only then realized that in her haste she'd arrived nearly a half hour before the appointed time. Since the flowers likely hadn't arrived yet, she decided that passing the time on the bench across the street would be the best idea.

The same bench Ruby had toppled over a few days ago turned out to be quite cold and uncomfortable to sit on, but it was better than standing around and appearing suspicious, right?

A few minutes later, she was still fidgeting in her seat, but was now internally scolding herself for being such a fool.

Why was it so important to see this girl again? She had no idea who Ruby was - she didn't even know the girl's last name!

Why couldn't she stop thinking about her…

Huffing out a breath of air, she pushed herself from her seat and made to leave the bench behind - determined to at least accomplish the second half of her task on time and head home.

That's when she heard a bark of recognition.

Spinning to her left, she froze when she saw them - tiny Zwei racing towards her with Ruby trailing happily behind.

"Weiss!" the brunette called out cheerfully, a huge grin lighting up her face while waving one hand through the air.

It would be difficult to explain just how relieved she felt when Ruby said her name, having imagined several worst case scenarios where the brunette had already forgotten her name.

But the girl had remembered her - and seemed happy to see her again, too.

It brought a smile to her lips while she knelt down to greet Zwei, the energetic puppy wiggling around happily in front of her.

"What are you doing here?" Ruby asked as she came to a stop directly in front of Weiss.

Abandoning Zwei, she stood up to face the girl, once again finding herself flustered by those silver eyes and friendly smile.

"I'm supposed to see the flowers we ordered today, but arrived a little early by mistake," she answered truthfully.

"Well, that worked out perfectly for me then!" Ruby responded cheerfully, letting out a little giggle along with her words.

It was rude to stare - Weiss knew that - but...it was a _little_ difficult not to stare when Ruby looked so adorably delighted to see her.

_Her_. Ruby was happy to see _her_.

"S-so what have you been up to recently?" she finally asked, temporarily snapping out of her state of gawking at the poor girl.

"Oh, just classes and stuff," Ruby responded with a wave of her hand. "Nothing exciting at all."

"You're still in school?"

"Yup! This is my last year though."

She nodded at the answer. That would make the girl two years younger than her, provided she hadn't skipped a grade or...been held back one.

"Vale U.?" she asked.

Her questions felt prying, but the brunette didn't seem to mind at all.

"You know it! You seem to be pretty good at guessing there, Weiss."

She flushed when Ruby grinned happily at her - but fortunately the girl interpreted her rather desperate attempts to gather more information as mere guesses.

"What about you? In school?" the brunette directed the same question back at her, which turned her gaze downward in embarrassment.

"I finished school a couple years ago. Now I'm just...learning my family's business."

Not really a lie - she _was_ learning her family's business, if becoming the proper socialite counted as a business.

But before Ruby could ask anymore than that, Zwei saved the day by running over and sitting down right in front of the girl. Head tilted upward, his tail wagged slowly across the grass while his eyes clearly pleaded for them to continue their walk.

"Ok, Zwei," the girl directed down to her pet before turning her silver gaze back to Weiss. "Do you want to come on a walk with us?"

"Yes."

The answer left her mouth in such a hurry, anyone could have seen her eagerness.

But Ruby only laughed at her quick response, turning to enter the park only to pause in her tracks before moving further.

"Oh, uh...but weren't you supposed to look at those flowers?"

"Right...I was..." she answered, her happiness deflating as she turned back to the flower shop.

Biting her lip, she thought how unfortunate the circumstances where. The store would likely be closing soon - and Ruby was here right now, so…

"Would you, maybe, like to come see them with me?"

It was a reach - a shot in the dark. There was no way this hyperactive girl would actually want to go look at some silly -

"Sure! That sounds fun."

Surprised by the girl's acceptance of the proposal, she wasted no time in directing them across the street. Ruby clipped Zwei onto the leash she'd been holding and brought the dog right up to the front door, where she tied the rope around a small bike pole to keep him in place.

The girl then opened the front door and waved at Weiss to go inside, which she did with a soft 'thank you' muttered for Ruby's polite gesture.

The hot, muggy air enveloped them the moment the door swung shut - leaving them in the artificially warm greenhouse. Even with the weather changing outside, this space stayed eternally the same - from the temperature, to the humidity, to the rows and rows of vibrant flowers.

Glancing around the sparsely populated store, she was able to locate the clerk from the other day, who immediately recognized her and rushed over.

"Good evening, Miss -"

"I was told the flowers came in today - may we see them?" she said quickly, cutting off the lady's formal greeting while trying to sound as polite as possible.

"Of course! We just got them - wait right here and I'll bring them up."

The woman rushed away from them towards the very back of the store, leaving the two of them standing alone by one of the checkout counters.

"What kind of flowers did you get?" Ruby asked curiously, her silver eyes looking in all directions while the younger girl took in the sights from inside the greenhouse.

"You'll seeeee," she responded, immediately shocked by the teasing tone in her voice.

However, Ruby just laughed as they waited by the front counter patiently for the clerk to return - which she did less than a minute later, clutching a flat, white box in her arms.

"I think you'll find them to be perfect," the woman said while prying the cover off the box and setting it aside. "I've never seen them this red before."

She peered into the box at the same time Ruby did - both of them drawing in a breath in amazement.

The clerk wasn't exaggerating, that was for sure.

Inside the box lay a handful of the most magnificent long stem roses she'd ever laid eyes upon. Their shape was perfect, with so many petals the flower seemed almost unreal. And their color...a deep, deep red that put all other shades of red to shame.

"Wowwww...those are beautiful!"

Ruby's comment made her a lot happier than she would have expected.

"They are very pretty," she agreed with a smile. "May we take these with us?"

The clerk nodded her head with a huge smile.

"Of course! Does that mean these are the ones for the big day?"

"Yes - place the full order as my mother instructed you," she replied, having for just a second forgotten what the roses were even for.

Well...at least she knew the flowers at the wedding would be remarkable.

And Ruby really seemed to like them.

"Actually…" she began before the woman could put the lid back on the box. "Can you divide them in half and put them in two boxes?"

Nodding, the woman searched underneath the counter for another empty box. While she was working on that, Weiss turned her attention back to Ruby.

"Think my mother will like them?"

Ruby nodded her head emphatically up and down.

"She'd be crazy not to!"

"Anything else, Miss Schnee?" the clerk said as she put the finishing touches on the two boxes of roses - tying each with a long piece of blue ribbon.

"No, that'll be all - thank you so much for your time."

Collecting the two packages, she and Ruby made their way back to the front of the store, where Ruby once again held the door open for her.

"Schnee? As in...the richest family in the world Schnee?"

She flinched at the description, even though it was apt for her family. She'd missed the saleswoman calling her by her last name...but she nodded her head in response anyway, standing uncomfortably rigid while Ruby untied Zwei's leash.

"Are you related to them?"

Blinking, she was temporarily confused by the question - having never been asked that before. Usually when people heard 'Schnee,' they automatically assumed she was related - not the other way around.

"My father runs the whole company," she explained, squashing the attractive scenario where she lied and Ruby stayed in the dark about who she really was. But it just felt wrong to lie to the girl...who was kind and innocent unlike anyone she'd ever met before.

"Woahhh," Ruby replied, eyes widening in surprise. "I would _not_ have guessed that."

"Really?"

She raised an eyebrow at the girl. Was Ruby saying she seemed unsophisticated? Unrefined?

"I guess I just...expected you to be wearing clothes made of gold or something. And not be so...cool."

The answer was so honest it made her blush instantly.

Did Ruby really think she was cool?

"Clothes made of gold?" she said with a small chuckle - the sound vaguely unfamiliar to her ears. "No, I only wear those at home."

Silver eyes stared at her in rapt amazement before Ruby finally caught onto the joke and burst into laughter. She lightly joined in, the girl's merry laughs being too infectious to resist.

And she'd just made a joke...about herself, no less.

"So...you now know my last name...would it be fair for me to ask yours?"

"Rose!" Ruby replied quickly with a grin, pointing towards the boxes still held in Weiss' arms.

She glanced down at them curiously, unsure exactly what the brunette was trying to allude to.

"Um…"

"Ruby Rose," the girl clarified with a giggle at her mystification.

"Oh. That's a very pretty name," she replied, hearing the words 'for a pretty girl' echo in her head, unspoken.

"It gets the job done," the girl said, a fake serious expression on her face that only made Weiss laugh again.

The brunette grinned at her, as if making Weiss laugh made her incredibly happy, as well.

"So, Weiss - want to come for a walk tomorrow with Zwei and I?"

"Absolutely," she replied without thinking - the answer only widening the girl's grin.

"Then I'll meet you here at the same time?" the brunette asked while backing slowly away from her, Zwei in tow.

Nodding her head, only then did she remember the boxes in her hands.

"Oh wait! Did you want to take some of these home with you? My mother will only want to see a few of them so...I thought you'd like to keep the others…"

She could feel her face flushing while Ruby walked back up to her and lifted one of the boxes out of her arms.

"You know, no one's ever given me roses before," the girl said while giving her a quirky grin. "Thank you, Weiss!"

Her flush approaching a shade of red close to the roses themselves, she averted her gaze from those expressive silver eyes - the ones shining at her in unconcealed happiness at her menial gesture.

"It's really nothing…"

It was either her answer or her embarrassment that drew another giggle from the girl.

"I'll see you tomorrow, Weiss!"

Looking up just in time to wave goodbye before Ruby raced back across the street, she quickly found her driver and got back into the vehicle to be taken home - setting the second box of roses on the seat beside her.

Her heart was still hammering in her chest while rampant thoughts swirled through her mind.

How had no one ever given Ruby roses before? The girl was the type who deserved thoughtful gestures like that - and clearly appreciated them.

And had it just been her wishful thinking, or had Ruby not seemed to care about Weiss' family?

It had been almost a nonevent - a revelation that was easily digested with a joke and a laugh. Maybe Ruby was really good at pretending...but for some reason she doubted that. The girl was far too free with her thoughts and emotions to be hiding ill motives somewhere.

A few minutes later, the car coasted up the circular stone driveway to the front entrance to her family's mansion. After collecting the box of roses, she stepped out of the car when the door was opened for her.

Making her way through the front door, she deposited the flowers on one of the tables in the foyer. Untying the ribbon, she reopened the box and removed one of the roses for herself - carrying it up to her room and placing it in a small vase that had been without a flower for quite some time now.

That had been the best afternoon she'd had in a very long time...all courtesy of a certain young girl she'd only just met…

She endured another dinner with ease - the rose centered conversation only serving as a reminder of a girl with the last name Rose.

Of course, her parents failed the notice the small smile that refused to leave her lips, nor her nearly empty plate that went back with the servers - her appetite surprisingly restored tonight.

Hours later, she found herself lying upon her bed once again, but this night she couldn't take her eyes off of the singular flower sitting upon the dresser beside her bed.

Ruby Rose...who was as beautiful and alive as this flower...

For the first time in as long as she could remember, she was looking forward to tomorrow.


	5. Chapter 5

**Thank you to everyone who has reviewed - especially those of you who continue to review every chapter! I won't name names, but you know who you are! I love talking with you about the story and what parts you like the most :)**

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She had been so excited about her arranged meeting with Ruby the next day that she hadn't been able to fall asleep right away. Instead she'd just lain in bed, tossing and turning while her thoughts were consumed by Ruby, Zwei, and their upcoming walk together.

It's not that big of a deal, she tried to tell herself. It would just be a short walk - there would be nothing expected of her other than some conversation.

But her heart refused to cease racing - and her mind refused to stop dashing from one thought to the next.

After spending far too long on her useless endeavor, she'd given up on trying to sleep - opting to clean her room, instead. But since her room was already immaculately kept, the task had occupied little more than a few minutes of her time.

In a continued effort to exhaust her mind, she'd gone to sit at her desk - flipping on the computer to read through emails and browse recent news. Her emails had contained nothing of interest, as usual filled with little more than a few purchase confirmations for clothing she'd recently purchased and a couple of event reminders from her mother and Jezebel.

With emails out of the way, she'd browsed the world news for a few moments, but quickly found the articles to be a little too depressing for her taste.

It was at that time when, against her better judgement, she'd typed the words 'Ruby Rose' into the search engine.

She just wanted to see what kind of topics would come up, she'd told herself - nothing more than a quick search to make sure the brunette wasn't wanted for any outstanding crimes or anything. It was a smart idea to do a _little_ due diligence, after all...especially for someone in her position. There were many people who would love the opportunity to scam a Schnee out of a good amount of money.

Much to her surprise, the search had returned several pages of valid results.

And apparently, the girl was something of a track star at Vale U.

She'd soon found herself lost in reading the results of the last several track meets before quickly reading a few articles that mentioned the girl. Best of all, she found pictures of the girl going all the way back to high school. There were photographs of Ruby running, the still frames freezing the girl in what looked like perfect form - short brunette hair blowing wildly while the muscles in her legs flexed incredibly in effort. There were also some team photos and also a few video clips.

The more results she read and videos she watched, the more she realized she knew little to nothing about track as a sport.

So, she'd then spent nearly an hour learning anything and everything she could find about track - focusing her attention on the three events Ruby ran.

All of that newfound knowledge _should_ have been enough for her, but somehow she'd ended up on Ruby's Valebook page…

It should have been a sign to cease and desist her quest when she couldn't even remember her password to the website, but she'd impatiently reset it in order to pull up Ruby's page.

Unfortunately, most of the information was blocked to people who weren't official 'friends' with the brunette, but she'd been able to see the girl's profile picture...the image still burned into her thoughts the morning after.

It had been of an attractive blonde girl, kissing Ruby forcibly on the cheek while the brunette tried to squirm away - both of them with smiles on their faces.

Even thinking about it now, she could feel a small amount of jealousy eating away at her.

In the short time they'd spoken, Ruby hadn't mentioned anything about seeing anyone...but it made sense that the girl was already taken. It seemed highly improbable that someone so sweet, light-hearted, and pretty would be without a significant other. The more she thought about it, the most she realized that she should have known this from the very start - so why did it feel like a surprise?

Even if Ruby was seeing someone, they could still become friends - which was all she was looking for anyway. This overabundance of feelings for the brunette was merely due to her inexperience making friends. She'd only ever interacted with the children of her parents' acquaintances before - fellow wealthy boys and girls who came with their own set of...expectations. The idea of making a friend on her own, without her parents having made the introduction, was the only reason why this newly formed relationship felt so tremendously important to her so soon.

It was also why she was immensely looking forward to this afternoon - so much so that the beginning of the day seemed to drag by.

But today, nothing could put a dent in her good mood. Not even her mother's offhand criticism of her outfit being 'something the common people would wear' could bring her down.

The closer the agreed upon time became, the more her excitement was replaced by nervousness. She was so concerned about not being late that she'd even made sure to call one of their drivers nearly an hour beforehand and order him not to leave the house. There was no way she was going to risk making a poor impression for something as silly as being late.

With nearly an hour to go, she'd paced the entire length of the house - through the dining room, the kitchen, the living room, the library, the sitting room, the music room, the meeting room, the study, the banquet hall, the billiard room...and back again.

When she'd finally been scolded by her mother for moving about with no purpose, she'd waited on a settee in the grand foyer until it was close enough to an appropriate time to leave. Finally summoning the driver she had made wait for her, she directed him to take her back to the park.

And despite her best efforts not to arrive too early, her anticipation seemed to have gotten the best of her. Which brought her to this moment...once again sitting on the uncomfortable metal bench while waiting for Ruby to arrive.

Weaving her fingers together methodically, before untangling them and starting over again, she spared a moment to be thankful the weather had decided to play nice for another few days.

It was cool outside, but the air had yet to take on the more painful nip that typified Vale winters - making it was still warm enough to be out without gloves or a scarf. And, although most of the tall trees in the park had already shed their leaves, there remained several late bloomers whose foliage was just beginning to fall. It was one of those rare days that was both winter and fall at the same moment in time.

"Weiss!"

The sound of her name brought her eyes snapping in the direction Ruby was approaching her from - the brunette wearing a big smile and giving her a friendly wave. A smile crept onto her face while the girl walked up to her - although Zwei reached her far before the girl did.

"Hello," she said, reaching down to greet Zwei with several ear scratches before turning her full attention to Ruby.

As much as her mother might disagree, the brunette made 'common' clothes look really good - her slightly over worn jeans and zippered hoodie (only half zipped) suiting the girl's laid back personality to a T. The red sneakers on her feet had probably once been vibrant, but were now faded from use.

She was actually a little envious of how comfortable Ruby was in every respect - from her clothing to her personality. The girl seemed to know who she was and was ok with that, which was much more than Weiss could say about herself.

"Hey Weiss!" Ruby greeted her again when finally coming to a stop near the bench. "How was your day?"

"It was pretty much the same as always..."

Minus the extreme anticipation to see you again, she left out.

"Well, 'the same' as always is better than 'bad'!" Ruby said before motioning down the path.

"Shall we?"

With a nod, she fell into place beside Ruby, the two of them walking shoulder to shoulder while Zwei swerved back and forth in front of them - nose to the ground as he ran from plant to plant capturing as many scents as possible.

Since she'd never been on this particular trail before, she trusted in Ruby to guide them.

The thought briefly flitted through her mind that she should be more nervous following a stranger into a empty park with no idea how to get out, but it immediately vanished when the brunette let out a short whistle calling Zwei closer to them.

"How was your day?" she asked, pushing away the unfounded worries that were trying to ruin her afternoon.

"Pretty boring - classes, practice, the usual," Ruby replied easily, eyes trained upon her dog while he sniffed at another dog passing them by.

"Practice? What are you practicing for?"

"Oh - I'm on the track and field team! Sorry, did I forget to mention that?" the girl replied, turning to Weiss in genuine apology for not revealing that information sooner.

"You don't need to apologize...we did just meet, after all," she replied, even though it didn't _feel_ like they'd just met by how comfortable it was to be within the girl's space. "Do you enjoy it though - running?"

"It's fun! Plus it helps release some of my energy."

She could certainly see how that would be useful - the girl was practically doing jumping jacks while walking beside her, hopping up and down as if she might take off in a sprint at any second.

"What events do you run?"

Even though she already knew the answer, the question seemed like the next logical step to take in the conversation. And she _wanted_ to hear Ruby talk about her sport - without giving away the fact that she'd spent last night scouring the internet for information.

"I run the 400, 800, mile...but anything really. As long as I can run around the track, I'll do it," the girl answered with a cheerful grin.

"Are you any good?"

The question came out more pretentious than she would have liked, but she wanted to give Ruby the opportunity to boast.

"I'm decent - it's not really about winning or losing though, it's all about having fun!" the brunette replied, turning to give her a big, unwavering smile that brought her feet immediately to a stop.

Ruby had taken several more steps before she realized that Weiss was no longer beside her, turning back with a confused expression on her face.

"Uh...Weiss?"

The answer was baffling to her.

Ruby had been the best runner in the city for all three of her events last year…_and _the brunette had consistently ranked in the top three at track meets all the way back to the beginning of college. From what she'd been able to tell, the girl was a force to compete with and was a threat to win every time she stepped onto a track.

But why didn't Ruby tell her that? Wouldn't a normal person want to brag about such tremendous accomplishments?

Seeing that Ruby was growing concerned at her continued silence, she shook her head and smiled - moving the few feet to the girl so they could continue their walk.

"So what made you interested in running?"

They were now venturing into uncharted territory - into questions where she didn't already know the answers, so she didn't know what to expect.

Of course, it didn't seem that she knew what to expect from Ruby even when she _did_ know the answers...

"My sister got me into it when we were younger - she used it as a way to tire me out after school."

"Sister?" she instantly asked - the prospect of another Ruby Rose running around the streets of Vale making her feel light inside.

"Yeah, her name's Yang -"

"Older or younger?"

"Two years older - I guess that would make her the same age as you, right?"

The girl chuckled at the coincidence, but Weiss suddenly had a funny suspicion...or maybe it was just a wild hope...

"So, can I guess that silver eyes run in the family?"

Ruby laughed at the question.

"No, we look nothing alike - she has lavender eyes and crazy blonde hair."

"Ohhh…" she said in understanding, a smile appearing on her lips.

The mysterious blonde's identity had been solved. It wasn't Ruby's girlfriend in the picture, it was her sister!

But why was she so incredibly relieved by this discovery...

"Yeah, she'd bribe me with a cookie if I'd run around the block," Ruby continued her story, oblivious to Weiss' relief. "Then it was a cookie for two blocks - before I knew it, running was just something I did. I wasn't very good until I grew at the end of high school - Yang used to say I looked like a little shrimp out there with the other kids. But, no matter how well I did, the cookie reward always stayed the same. Even now my coach always keeps a box in his bag for me!"

"That seems...unhealthy…" she commented, amused by the unconventional incentive that seemed to be incredibly effective.

Looking down at her feet in an uncharacteristically downbeat display, Ruby tucked her hands in the front pockets of her jeans and shrugged her shoulders in response.

"After my mom died, it was just the two of us at home most of the time. Yang did whatever she could to keep me happy, healthy, and entertained."

"Oh...I'm sorry…"

Now she felt horrible for bringing up the subject - having unintentionally learned something she'd never expected to uncover, a scar hidden to those who didn't personally know the girl. Sympathy swelled within her heart for Ruby - who, thankfully, didn't seem terribly disheartened by the somber information just provided.

"W-well…" she began, searching for another question to drag them away from that topic. "Do you two get along well?"

"Yeah!" Ruby exclaimed, eyes regaining their sparkle in a heartbeat. "We get along suuuuper well! I actually live with her and her girlfriend right now."

"How's that arrangement working?" she asked, her eyes following Zwei as he disappeared then reappeared behind a group of prickly bushes off the path.

She realized that she was asking a lot of personal questions, which wasn't exactly the most proper way to hold a conversation. But, she'd honestly never been this interested in another person before. Thankfully, Ruby seemed more than happy to answer all the questions she had.

"It's better than you might expect. They have a little two bedroom apartment and let me stay in the second room for free - it saves money since I don't have to live in the dorms, but when I graduate I'll get my own place."

"That sounds like a good plan."

"I think so," Ruby replied, clearly encouraged by Weiss' endorsement of her goals. "Plus, my friends have told me some stories from the dorms - I think I'd much rather be where I'm at than go through _any_ of that."

The thought of what kind of stories Ruby could be referring to made her shudder involuntarily - drawing silver eyes her way.

"You didn't go to Vale U., did you?"

"No," she answered with a shake of her head. "I went to Vale Academy."

"Ah...where all the smart kids go!"

It might be a small thing to anyone else, but she really appreciated that Ruby hadn't said 'where all the rich kids go.'

"So that means you're like...a genius, right?" the brunette continued, looking back to her with a grin.

"W-well I wouldn't...say 'genius'…"

She stopped speaking when Ruby burst into laughter, feeling her cheeks grow warm when she realized the girl had only been teasing her.

"I know you're way smarter than me, but that's not really saying much!" Ruby replied, eyes twinkling at her self-deprecating humor.

How easy it was for her to get lost in those eyes...like seas of molten metal promising better days and more laughter to come…

Hearing a small bark, Ruby turned away from her - the sudden loss of silver pinching at her chest. Moving her own attention towards the sound, she found Zwei waiting patiently for them up ahead, sitting down in the middle of the sidewalk.

Only then did she realize that she and Ruby had both stopped walking - standing a mere foot from one another while staring into each other's eyes with smiles on their faces. They had probably looked pretty silly to an outside observer…

"Oh, here's my favorite part of the park - come on, this way!" Ruby said, following tiny Zwei as he led the way off the paved sidewalk.

There was a beaten path in the grass that wove through a cluster of trees - looking like a trip through the woods to her. But after they followed it for only a minute, the park suddenly opened up into a larger green space ringed by trees.

Her eyes were immediately drawn to the very center of the space where a fountain stood - the pool of which was maybe fifteen to twenty feet across. The base was made of some type of white stone or cement, which contrasted nicely with the beautiful bronze statue at its center.

There were two tiers to the statue - an angel was walking upon the upper pedestal, extending one hand towards them as if beckoning for them to come with her. Water was running from under her feet, falling to the second level like drops of rain. Underneath the base at the angel's feet where several cherub figures clutching to the very center of the statue where they were sheltered from the 'rain.'

The basin beneath the cherubs collected the rain and returned it to the fountain pool through steady streams of water emitting only from the corners of its octagonal shape.

"Wow, what a pretty fountain…" she commented quietly as they walked over to stand by its side, the soothing sound of cascading water filling her ears.

"Isn't it? Not many people know it's back here since there's no sidewalk."

This area did seem to be less frequented - the air filled with a stillness that focused even more attention upon the raining drops of water in front of them.

"Hey," Ruby suddenly whispered, glancing quickly around them as if about to tell her a big secret. "You wanna see something funny?"

"Sure…?" she answered hesitantly, looking around as well to find that they were still alone in the clearing.

Ruby grinned and whistled again, her faithful companion reappearing by her side immediately.

"Zwei, up!"

The little dog jumped onto the foot wide edge of the pool on command, sitting down facing them obediently.

"Readyyy…"

At the word, the dog stood and turned towards the water, nose pointed towards the fountain while his tail wagged swiftly back and forth.

"Setttt…"

His tail stilled, his entire little body stiffening in anticipation.

"Go!"

On cue, the tiny dog launched himself out over the water - flying a couple feet through the air before hitting the water belly first, causing a little splash. Even though the fountain was only about a foot and a half deep, his head sunk all the way beneath the surface of the water before popping back up. Yipping happily, the drenched dog began paddling around his own personal pool - swimming over to the fountain to bite at the streams of water dropping down on top of him.

She giggled while watching his swim cheerfully, albeit somewhat making a fool of himself by trying to attack water.

"I don't _technically_ think dogs are allowed in the fountain, so I only let him in when no one else is around," Ruby explained.

"He looks so happy."

"He would swim for hours if I let him! But I usually don't have time for that," Ruby said, shoving her hands into her pockets again while watching the dog swim.

"Anyway, come on, Zwei!" the girl called out after a few seconds of silence - drawing the little creature back their way. When Zwei reached the edge, he was able to stand on his back legs and pull himself out of the fountain with ease.

Immediately dropping down to the grass in front of them, he began shaking out his matted fur - showering both of them in a spray of fountain water.

She held both of her hands in front of her face while Ruby did the same - trying to shield herself from a bit of the castoff.

"Zwei!" Ruby shouted as he finished and ran away from them. "You little jerk!"

Sighing, the girl looked down at the front of her hoodie, now covered in darkened water spots. Then she looked over at Weiss, expression abundantly apologetic.

"Sorry...he got your coat all wet…"

"Oh, don't worry about it," she replied, glancing down to see similar spots of water speckling the front of her jacket. "It's just water."

"And dirty dog…" Ruby replied, more concerned than she should be about a little water.

"I think I'll survive," she reassured the girl with a smile.

Although she would need to get her jacket dry cleaned...there was no way she could allow her mother to see even the faintest outline of a water spot - that was just asking for a scolding.

But she didn't want Ruby to feel the least bit guilty over something so innocent.

The smile the girl gave her assured her that the words had worked.

Again, she found herself trapped within that gaze, losing any sense of time or decency in not staring at others. It was only when Ruby's eyes lifted above her head that the sensation was lost.

"We should probably head back now...it'll get dark soon."

"You're probably right," she replied, turning with Ruby so they could follow Zwei away from the fountain. The sun was getting quite low in the sky - rapidly approaching the horizon.

They made their way back towards the park's entrance - the sound of raindrops fading away to the sound of a soft breeze rustling through the few remaining leaves, knocking many off in the process.

As Ruby talked about her classes, track practices, favorite professors, least favorite professors...Weiss realized how special it was that Ruby had taken her to see the fountain - that the brunette had shared her favorite part of the park with Weiss, as well as her time.

"Ruby," she began when the brunette had paused to breathe for a second. They were nearing the spot where they would go their separate ways and she wanted to make sure she said this before they did so.

"Thank you spending time with me today."

When the words left her mouth, she ducked her head, cheeks warming noticeably. She only looked up when the sound of happy laughter reached her ears.

"Weiss, I _wanted_ to spend time with you!" the girl replied, not embarrassed in the least by that candid answer. "Oh hey, you should come meet Yang and Blake sometime! I think you'd really like them."

"I'd really like that," she replied with a smile, hoping her cheeks would return to their normal color quickly.

There was no way she was going to pass up an opportunity to spend more time with Ruby - to get to know the girl a little better.

"Actually...if you want to come over now, they'll probably be home," the brunette offered, suddenly bouncing up and down at the prospect - Zwei mimicking his owner's excitement by spinning around in a small circle.

She'd already opened her mouth to say yes until she realized just how much time had flown by - the sky now growing dark as evening rapidly became dusk.

"Oh...I would love to, but I should actually head home now…" she answered instead.

She hadn't informed anyone that she would be missing dinner tonight - having not thought their walk would be as long as it'd been. Being late or missing the meal would earn her an admonishment for sure, and she really didn't want anything to attempt to ruin the mood she was in right now.

For a second, Ruby's face fell to mirror the disappointment she felt inside, but one blink and the expression had completely disappeared - replaced again by the overexcited hopefulness of a puppy.

"Then how about tomorrow? You can meet me here and we'll walk over?"

Wasting no time nodding her head, she briefly wondered how anyone might be able to turn down those shining silver eyes twice in a row.

"Absolutely - what time should I meet you?"


	6. Chapter 6

**Wednesday seems like the perfect day to post another chapter! (Really, I'm running out of things to say here besides thanks for the follows/favs/reviews :) )**

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The park bench wasn't as uncomfortable as she'd originally deemed it to be - she actually found it quite relaxing to sit there while waiting for Ruby to arrive. It seemed like the weather had turned a little warmer for just the day, which was to her advantage while waiting outside.

She'd arrived early, but not _too_ early, today. Her excitement to see Ruby had been tempered somewhat by the anxiety building at the thought of meeting the girl's older sister and her girlfriend.

Although...the girls were her age, so she really shouldn't be worried about anything. They were her peers and, even though they hadn't gone to the same school or been raised in the same social structure, the three of them should share some interests.

At least, that's what she was trying to convince herself at this moment.

It was difficult to keep her doubts at bay - uncertainty ingrained into her very being through years of interacting with the social 'elite'...

What if they didn't like her? Would they say something to Ruby?

Would Ruby stop hanging out with her?

The thought hung like a storm cloud above her head.

This feeling was just so new to her - the prospect of having a friend. She didn't want it to disappear so soon.

She'd never had someone to confide in...someone who didn't want something from her, who didn't pick apart her outfits, who didn't talk about her behind her back.

Someone who didn't expect her to be the perfect heiress everyone was always searching for.

When she was with Ruby there was no pressure to be anyone else. She didn't have to use the biggest words or the best vocabulary. She didn't have to brag about how wealthy her family was. She didn't have to dress perfectly. She didn't have to behave perfectly.

She didn't have to be perfect, _at all_ \- and Ruby seemed to enjoy spending time with her regardless.

And then there was the way Ruby always greeted her - with a huge grin and a cheerful -

"Weiss!"

A smile instantly appeared when she heard the now familiar voice calling to her. Pushing herself to her feet, she crossed the small distance of sidewalk to meet the girl halfway - discovering that Zwei wasn't accompanying the brunette today.

"How are you doing, Weiss?"

And then there was the way Ruby used her name as much as possible…as if even her name was fun to say.

"Better now that you're here," she answered a little too honestly - a blush blossoming on her cheeks as the result.

But Ruby simply laughed off the words, tickled by the admission but not calling more attention to it than that.

"Are you ready to go?"

With a nod, they were on their way - walking back in the direction the girl had just come from.

"So before we get there, I should let you know that Yang is a little...strange…"

"Strange?"

The way Ruby said the word only stoked the burning nerves still smoldering in her chest. How well could she possibly get along with 'strange?'

"Not _bad_ strange! Just...you know how most people have filters, so they only tell certain things to certain people?"

"Yes…"

"Yeah, well Yang doesn't have one of those!" Ruby said, laughing when she noticed what must be an expression of utter confusion on Weiss' face. "She'll treat you as if you've been friends forever - _meaning_ that you'll probably hear some things that...maybe you don't want to hear - mostly concerning Blake."

"Oh…"

She understood now, maybe. It sounded like Yang was going to be a very...interesting...person to spend time with.

"Along with that, she'll tease you like you're best buds, but she's only being playful so don't take it as her being mean to you."

"I...think I can handle that," she replied, wondering if she could, in fact, handle that. All the teasing she'd ever undergone had been done behind her back, not to her face.

"But she fully expects you to tease her back, if you want to. She's not the type who takes herself too seriously."

The words felt like disclaimers - removing Ruby of any liability for what her older sister might say.

"Thank you for the warning," she said, giving Ruby what she hoped was a reassuring smile. The brunette seemed to be a little nervous now - and if her sister was truly as described, Weiss could certainly see why. But if there was any chance the girl was similar to Ruby, it would be worth meeting her at least one time.

"Here we are!"

The brick apartment building standing in front of them was nothing special. Standing around ten stories tall, there was a single lobby door directly ahead of them.

It might not have looked special, but she made certain to commit the location to memory, just in case.

She followed Ruby through the front door and into a small reception area, with a bank of mailboxes occupying the wall on their left while two silver-doored elevators stood on their right. When Ruby tapped the 'up' button on the wall, one of the doors immediately slid open to admit them.

Her nerves amplified as she stepped into the elevator behind Ruby, watching the girl tap the button for the fifth floor.

"Are you nervous?"

Her immediate response was to scoff at the question - a self defense mechanism to prevent showing signs of weakness to strangers. Only when Ruby tilted her head to one side in confusion did she realize it was unnecessary to dismiss the girl's concern in that way.

"Just a little…" she replied softly, looking away from silver eyes that showed far too much caring than she could accept.

"Don't worry - they're nice people," Ruby assured her, right as the elevator arrived to their designated floor and released them into the hallway.

The reassurance _did_ make her feel a little better, trailing Ruby while the slender brunette led the way to one of the apartments down the hallway, marked by the numbers '517' on the door. Pulling out her keys, Ruby unlocked the door and pushed it open, stepping in first and gesturing for Weiss to follow.

The first thing she recognized was that the interior was small and cramped - elitist thoughts that filled her with a certain level of repulsion for her own upbringing. There was a little 'living room' with a sofa and television tucked in the right corner, while a four person dining table sat directly in front of them. There seemed to be only two doorways - one to their left and one directly ahead of them.

"Yang!"

She jumped when Ruby called out for her sister - the loud noise surprising her out of her careful examination of the girl's home.

The tall blonde appeared through the door ahead of them almost immediately, a dish towel still swinging in her hands. Taking one look at Weiss, she started laughing.

"Holy shit - it _is_ Weiss Schnee!"

She blinked, unsure why she'd elicited such a strange response while Yang continued to laugh - a happy sound very much similar to Ruby's.

"I totally thought some girl'd suckered Ruby into believing she was Weiss Schnee," the girl explained, striding forward and brushing her hastily extended hand out of the way in favor of wrapping her in a smothering, uncomfortable hug. "Glad to see you're not manipulating my baby sis!"

"I...I would never…" she began to say as she took a step away from the girl, resisting the urge to wipe her shoulder where the wet dish towel had just touched her.

The blonde chuckled at her stutters, running one hand easily through her mane of golden hair while flashing a brilliant smile. She felt her cheeks heat up as she was caught in the girl's watchful lilac gaze.

Yang's eyes were stunning - nearly as stunning as Ruby's, though not quite. She had a muscular build that suggested she spent more than enough time in the gym, and was almost perfectly equal in height to her little sister.

The blonde's overall demeanor was carefree and friendly, but she could sense an underlying layer of protectiveness that coincided with what Ruby had mentioned about them getting along 'suuuper well.'

For the first time ever, she was grateful that she actually _was_ Weiss Schnee - unsure what Yang might have done if she wasn't.

"Where's Blake?" Ruby asked, having stayed close to her side side the entire time but didn't interrupt their initial meeting.

"Oh she was writing - lemme get her."

Expecting Yang to head into the other room, she risked a glance over at Ruby.

"BLAKE! WEISS SCHNEE IS HERE!"

The bellow probably would have knocked her over had she not jumped and clutched onto Ruby's arm in surprise. Immediately embarrassed, she dropped her death grip on the brunette and mumbled a soft 'sorry' while trying to collect her scrambled poise.

"Is she deaf now that you just screamed in her ear?"

The voice came from the room on the left side of the apartment, drawing her gaze towards the smooth, calm tone. A beautiful girl with long black hair was walking over to her, removing the reading glasses she'd been wearing and placing them on top of her head to be used again later. Her build was more petite than Yang's, although her stature was still taller than Weiss. Her eyes were amber - intelligent and thoughtful.

Zwei popped out of the room behind the girl, trailing behind her before rushing over to Weiss with a happy wag of his tail.

"Oh there's Zwei! Was he in there with you this entire time?" Yang asked.

"He likes to sleep on my feet while I write," the girl stated calmly.

"Funny, for someone who doesn't like dogs you sure spend an awful lot of time with one!" the blonde teased.

When the girl took her place beside Yang, Weiss realized that by initial glance the two couldn't be more opposite. But there was an energy running between the two that belied how they felt for each other, a connection that transcended the initial differences.

"I'm Blake," the girl with raven tresses introduced herself, extending one hand calmly towards Weiss in a manner contradictory to what Yang had just done. "And I, too, am glad you're _actually_ Weiss Schnee."

Blake's smile put her at ease, the girl possessing a soothing aura that did wonders for her nerves. It was easy to see that Blake provided the grounding Yang likely needed.

"You guysssss! Come on, I'm not _that_ much of an idiot!"

The two girls giggled at Ruby's whine, clearly used to teasing the younger girl.

"Weiss, tell us the truth - did she know who you were at first?" Yang asked, eyes sparkling at her with mischief.

"I...well...no, she didn't," she replied, grinning when the two girls fell into more laughter.

Turning towards Ruby, she was blessed with the opportunity to see the brunette pout momentarily, before breaking out that smile she liked to see so much.

"Like I said, you weren't wearing any gold clothes - how was I supposed to know?"

All four of them shared a laugh at that.

"Wait, but how did _you guys_ even know what she looks like?" Ruby suddenly asked.

"Well…" Yang replied, suddenly looking somewhat ashamed of herself. "We might have...looked her up online last night…."

"Guysss, seriously?"

"What? It's good to do a little homework when someone's claiming to be the richest person in the world!"

"Third richest. My father and mother are wealthier than I," she replied, smiling when her attempt at humor succeeded in drawing laughs from the three of them.

She didn't mind the due diligence. After all, hadn't she done the same with Ruby? Although hers had been a little more...in depth...than merely finding a photograph...

"Hey, why don't we go out for a walk? We might not have much longer to enjoy being outside before the weather gets too cold," Blake suggested, quickly receiving nods of approval from the two sisters, and Weiss in turn.

A few minutes later, they were back on the sidewalk in their jackets. This turn of events actually worked in Weiss' favor - allowing her to walk side-by-side with Ruby while Blake and Yang walked ahead of them. Zwei was leading the way with Yang dutifully holding the end of his leash.

The walking lent itself well to a more relaxed atmosphere - nullifying what otherwise might have been a stressful question and answer session sitting around the dining room table.

Although they weren't really pressing her for information at all - seeming quite content to let her ask her questions first.

"So...Blake, are you a writer?" she asked, having picked up Yang's mention that the girl had been writing when they stepped into the apartment.

The girl turned slightly around to give her a small smile.

"I work for the paper - mostly editing right now..."

"But she really wants to be an author!" Yang broke in, giving her girlfriend a proud, beaming smile. "And she's going to be the _best_ writer there ever was."

Weiss saw the blinding compliment draw a blush to Blake's cheeks, who turned away from her girlfriend momentarily.

"Have you written any stories of your own?" she asked, feeling her own curiosity increase.

"Some...I just need the right story, I think," the girl responded, the question seeming to bring her out of her temporary embarrassment.

"You should write about us!" Yang suggested, earning an immediate eye roll from her partner.

"Yang, I already told you - I'm not writing erotica."

The blonde giggled and turned fully around in order to grin at her.

"Because that's what it would be."

The wink thrown in at the end lit her cheeks on fire, jaw dropping at the audacity to say those words out loud to someone the girl had only just met. Or to say those words out loud at all. Even though she'd been appropriately warned...there was really no way to prepare herself for _that_.

"W-well what do you do, Yang?" she found the courage to ask.

"I sell cars!"

"Cars?"

Her mind immediately conjured pictures of greasy car salesmen, spinning their web of lies and fast talking in order to make a sale.

"Yes, cars. But don't worry - I don't use any lying in _my_ sales pitch."

"Oh! Yang, you should show her how you sell a car!" Ruby said excitedly from beside her, bouncing up and down with her words.

The blonde laughed before pausing on the sidewalk and turning to face Weiss, taking a step closer until the girl was officially within her personal bubble. Wearing a serious expression for just an instant, a radiant smile slowly appeared on Yang's face.

"Weiss, it's such a pleasure to meet you," the blonde said, reaching out both hands to clasp one of hers warmly.

She felt her mouth dry out - the girl's aura completely changed from silly and nearly immature to alluring and magnetic. A nod of her head was all Yang needed in order to continue.

"Now, I know that you might not _need_ this car...but I've run the numbers and you can definitely _afford_ it. Plus…" the blonde took another step closer to her, their bodies now nearly touching - Yang's face tantalizingly close to her own as the girl leaned in to whisper, "_I_ think you would look _really_ great driving it."

And just like that, the blonde switched off the charm, reverting to her normal self as she giggled and backed away.

"So, whatdya think? Wanna buy a car?" the girl teased.

She blinked, shaking her head slightly to dispel the charm before clearing her throat.

"Y-yeah that would work."

Hearing Ruby laugh, she turned towards the girl with wide eyes, only for Ruby to shrug her shoulders.

"She's _really_ good."

"Basically, she flirts all day," Blake added, running one hand lovingly down the blonde's shoulder before settling it comfortably within Yang's hand. "And _still_ finds the energy to flirt with me when she gets home."

"Please...work is hardly flirting - it's just talking!" the blonde replied.

A small silence enveloped them, not uncomfortable as they continued their stroll down the sidewalk - now approaching a busier section of Vale with more shops and restaurants instead of small homes and apartment buildings.

"So, Weiss - I'm guessing you don't work, right?" Yang asked, tone not at all judgemental, just factual.

"No, not at the moment…"

"Well, I imagine planning your wedding is probably more than enough work for now," Blake added kindly, again turning around to give her a smile. "How's that going?"

"Oh - uh, it's fine - just a lot of work, like you said," she replied quickly, brain scrambling to find a topic to move the conversation to as fast as possible before -

"You're engaged?"

Blake and Yang laughed at Ruby's shock, but Weiss felt her heart drop precipitously.

She really hadn't wanted...she hadn't wanted Ruby to find out so soon...

"Ruby, didn't you notice that huge sparkler on her finger?" Yang asked, gesturing backward at her left hand.

She immediately covered the ring with her opposite hand, spinning it around so the diamond was facing her palm - looking like nothing but a plain gold band from the top.

She hated the thing. It was too big, too flashy...it represented much of what she didn't like about her own family. It was cold, impersonal...clearly something picked without having her taste in mind at all.

She'd tried not to wear it - making the argument that such an expensive ring would only make her a target of thieves - but her mother wouldn't hear any of it. Something about how 'the media would have a heyday...'

Risking a glance to her side, she wanted...no, needed...to see Ruby's reaction to the news. But the brunette was staring forcefully at the ground, eyebrows furrowed while she bit her bottom lip in deep thought.

The sight sent a knife through her heart, but she couldn't figure out exactly why it made her so upset. She would have had to tell Ruby eventually - it's not like it was been a big secret, after all. Nearly the entire city knew, which was only made more apparent by Blake's knowledge of it.

"Oh wow - speaking of your betrothed."

Following the direction Blake pointed, she found what all three of her new friends were now staring at.

And she begged for the earth to open up and swallow her whole - for a black hole to appear right in front of her so that she might step into it - for _anything_ but to be here right now.

After a few seconds passed and she wasn't provided with an escape from her humiliation, she let out a long sigh.

Posted high above the street directly in front of them, lit by a row of bright lights on the top and bottom, was an entire billboard featuring the scantily clad photograph of her fiancé - Cardin Winchester.

"Woah - he's an underwear model? What a hunk," Yang commented after letting out a low whistle.

"Excuse me?"

"Hunkkk...of dirt!" the blonde tried to fudge before letting out a laugh at her utter failure. "Come on, Blake - you have to admit he's attractive! Crew cut, chiseled chin, charming smile..."

"Look at me," Blake ordered, reaching out one hand and turning Yang's face towards her. "Now smile."

When Yang grinned, Blake did too.

"Just as I thought, nothing compared to yours."

The two girls shared their own private moment while Weiss continued to stare at the billboard - cursing the boy upon it for ruining what had just been a great night.

"What's he like, Weiss? Anywhere near as charming as he looks?"

She balked at Yang's question, unsure of how honest she could be in this situation.

"Well, uh...he takes a little...getting used to…"

"He looks like a prick."

She gawked at Ruby - completely flabbergasted by the uncharacteristic comment - while Yang burst into laughter.

"He _does_ look like a prick, Ruby! Well said. So which is it, Weiss? A charmer or a prick?"

Yang was watching her intently now - waiting for her answer. She could feel the word 'prick' rolling around in her head, begging to be set free...

"Not charming…" she finally replied, even feeling a small smile appear when Yang and Blake laughed at her admission.

Never before had she said anything negative about Cardin, mostly because she'd never had anyone trustworthy to say it to. All the unfavorable thoughts about him had remained firmly in her head - for fear the boy might hear if she spoke them aloud.

"Anyway, he's nowhere _near_ as hot as Blake," Yang added while they resumed their slightly more subdued walk.

"Please. You're hotter than all of us combined," Blake replied easily.

"Guys, Weiss is more attractive than either of you!" Ruby suddenly cut in, turning away and flushing when Weiss looked at her in surprise.

"Weiss? What do you think?" Yang suddenly asked, everyone focusing their attention back on her.

"I think...Ruby is most attractive," she mumbled, feeling her own face blush brilliantly from the admission.

"Alright, let the record show that Weiss declines to choose between Blake and I."

"Hey! She did choose! And she chose me!" Ruby whined, the brunette once again behaving like her normal self.

"Oh, speaking of hot, let's get ice cream!" the blonde suddenly suggested, pointing towards the ice cream parlor across the street.

"Speaking of hot, let's get ice cream?" she asked, struggling to see where Yang had been able to make that connection.

"Her brain works in mysterioussss ways," Ruby joked, earning a punch in the shoulder from her sister before dashing ahead of them with a happy squeal. The brunette held the door for everyone to enter, patiently waiting for Yang to tie Zwei up outside even though she was clearly the most excited to get inside.

The instant they walked in, she felt completely overwhelmed. The smell of sugar permeated the air, while the sound of patrons chatting happily to each other created a comfortably happy atmosphere. Looking towards the bank of ice cream choices, she could already tell there were too many options for her to pick just one - it looked as if there were a million different flavors and toppings to choose from.

And she wasn't even very fond of sweets to begin with, so...

"What'll you have, Weiss?" Yang asked curiously as they made their way to the front of the line.

"Uh...I'll just have whatever Ruby's having…" she answered, earning a huge grin from the brunette, who bowed and literally ran forward to place their order.

But Yang laughed at her decision, earning an elbow in the side from her girlfriend.

"Let her make her own mistakes..." Blake chided the girl softly.

The girl's comment didn't make much sense until she heard Ruby order two 'Ruby's Special's.

By that point, there was nothing she could do but stare in a mixture of horror and amazement while the store employee set about creating the largest monstrosity of diabetes she had ever seen.

Five scoops of different flavored ice cream, chocolate sauce, caramel sauce, strawberry sauce, an entire banana, probably a cup of chopped pecans, strawberries, raspberries, blueberries, rainbow sprinkles, chocolate chips - all somehow contained in a chocolate dipped waffle bowl, topped with a mound of whipped cream and a single cherry.

When it was handed across the counter to her, she could barely find the wherewithal to accept it.

"This is probably more sugar than I've had in the past five years…" she said, feeling her pulse race just from being _close_ to so much sugar.

"Don't worry - I'll finish it if you can't!" Ruby said, giving her another grin before skipping off to the small, square table Blake had procured for the four of them.

Following Yang over to the register, she pulled out her charge card when their bill had been added up, but the blonde immediately waved her away.

"Don't worry about it, Weiss. I've got it," the girl said, smiling at her while handing her own card to the young boy who'd just made their desserts.

"But I -"

"_You're_ the guest tonight," the blonde replied firmly, forcibly turning her shoulders and giving her a gentle shove away from the counter. "Guests never pay."

Feeling her eyebrows furrow slightly, she walked slowly over to join Ruby and Blake - her sense of social order temporarily knocked from its equilibrium.

The person whose family had the most money was the one who paid for the meals when out with friends - that's how it worked. And, since her family had more money than practically anyone else in the world, it meant she always paid. Or at least, everyone always _expected_ her to pay - no matter who had done the inviting.

She had little time to question this new rule though, because as soon as she sat down at the table beside Ruby, Blake pointed a spoon at her bowl.

"Can I have your cherry?" the girl asked.

"Oh uh...sure?"

Taking her lukewarm, flustered answer as a yes, Blake reached over and plucked the cherry from the top of Weiss' bowl with her fingers before popping it into her mouth.

"Thank you," Blake said with a smile.

"Blake _reallyyyy_ likes cherries," Yang teased as she joined them, pulling out the remaining chair to sit beside her girlfriend. "Hey - who's was better Blake - Weiss' or mine?"

She looked curiously at the milkshake held in Yang's hand before her face flushed in understanding.

"Well...I had yours so long ago it's hard to remember," the raven haired girl practically purred in return.

"Maybe you need a refresher?" Yang replied without missing a beat, leaning precariously close to her girlfriend.

"Guys - come on! You're making her uncomfortable!" Ruby finally cut in, causing both girls to laugh and sit straight in their chairs.

"I'm not...uncomfortable…" she muttered, but she could feel heat radiating in waves from her burning cheeks at how intimate the two were being in public.

"So Weiss, you hiding any _other_ cherries over there?" Yang asked, giving her a suggestive wink. "Maybe _I_ want one too."

The blonde suddenly yelped in surprise when an object hit her right between the eyes before falling to the table with a light tap.

"There! You can have my cherry, Yang."

"No! Ruby, I don't want your cherry!" the blonde said in a panic, picking up the item and trying to hand it back to her sister.

"Too late - you already got it!" the brunette replied with a grin, picking up her spoon in order to continue devouring her ice cream.

Pouting while Ruby wouldn't accept her cherry refund and Blake giggled beside her, Yang finally grinned at Weiss before easily flicking the item into her bowl.

"It looks like Weiss might want your cherry, Ruby."

She stared down at the object, positive she'd never been more embarrassed than she was right now.

"You don't have to eat that, Weiss," Ruby said, glaring at her sister.

After a second, she picked the cherry up by its stem and stuck it in her mouth, grinning back at Yang when the girl stared at her in surprise.

"H-how kind of you to offer me your sister's cherry."

She felt like burying her head in the sand from the words she'd just said, but the three girls burst into laughter as they continued eating their desserts.

They were teasing her, but not in the passive aggressive, catty way she'd grown accustomed to. They weren't being mean spirited - they were just having fun. And she was actually having fun, too.

She learned a great deal over the next few minutes - like that Ruby could eat two of those ice cream boats and still be hungry - and that Yang and Blake became increasingly intimate as the night progressed.

By the time they made their way out of the ice cream shop, the two girls were making all sorts of eyes at each other, hardly able to keep their hands off one another for more than a few seconds. She could feel her own embarrassment by proximity growing by the second from the two girls' behavior.

She'd never known two people to be that fond of one another - especially not after dating for more than a few weeks.

"Hey, Ruby - maybe you can meet us back in like an hour or so?" Yang asked as she untied Zwei, before Blake leaned close and whispered something into the girl's ear. "O-or maybe two?"

Ruby just waved them away, shouting "Two hours!" at their backs as they rushed away with their dog in tow.

"So...do you have to go home or do you have time to walk around for a bit?" the brunette asked, turning towards her with a hopeful smile. "Because apparently I can't go home for a little while."

"I have time," she replied - thankful that she'd told her parents she wouldn't be attending dinner that evening and not having the driver wait for her like she normally did.

"Hey, how far do you live from here?" Ruby asked as they picked a direction and began walking.

"A ten or fifteen minute drive -"

"What about walking?"

"Oh...forty-five minutes, I guess?"

Walking wasn't really her primary mode of transportation, so she could only estimate how long it would take to get from here to her home.

"Perfect!" Ruby replied, eyes lighting up with joy. "Then I can walk you home!"

"Oh you don't have to do -" she began to say, but Ruby waved her off.

"Nonsense! It's the perfect way to spend my mandatory outside time," the brunette responded, turning around in confusion when Weiss stopped walking beside her.

"It's actually that way then," she said with a smile, pointing in the opposite direction they'd been heading.

Ruby laughed and spun herself in the right direction before they set off again.

The evening was firmly upon them now - the sun removed from the sky while the night air grew a chill only be found during the colder months. Thankfully her jacket held most of the chill at bay, only allowing her cheeks to grow rosy and fingers to dig deeply into her pockets for warmth.

Their walk was comfortable - filled with laughs and more time getting to know each other. Again, she found that it was easy to forget who she was when she was with Ruby. The girl made her feel like she was just a normal human being - someone to be teased, questioned, listened to…

It was only the change in their surroundings that brought her back to her own reality - the sprawling estates, gated driveways, perfectly manicured lawns...the houses became few and further between while at the same time becoming more extravagant.

Her pace unconsciously slowed to a mere crawl as her inevitable departure from Ruby approached. Fortunately, the brunette slowed her speed to match Weiss', even though such a slow pace looked visibly uncomfortable for someone with so much energy pulsing through their veins.

The familiar gate was now just up ahead - the tall, wrought iron fence towering above them while they continued down the sidewalk.

For an instant, she wondered if she had to tell Ruby this was her home - or if they could just walk right by - if they could just keep walking to the end of the world, together.

Unfortunately, she knew that she had to return home eventually or her parents would send the entire army out looking for her. Nodding towards the expansive mansion on their left, she said the words she really didn't want to speak aloud.

"This is it."

Ruby turned to look at the house - the biggest by far of any they'd passed. This was by design, of course. One of their 'neighbors' had once had the audacity to suggest their house was bigger than the Schnee's...so Weiss' father had had an entire third story added, four additional wings tacked on, while purchasing and leveling the two nearest properties just to add to the estate's expansive grounds.

To prove a point.

"So this is where you keep all the gold clothes, huh?" Ruby joked after studying the house for several seconds. "It looks, uh...like I could get lost in there."

She smiled at the self-depreciating humor - recognizing it by now as Ruby's attempt to make her more comfortable.

"We have maps printed up for guests with less...directional savviness," she replied.

She surprised herself with the joke, which had flowed easily from her lips without so much as a pause or a second guess.

Ruby even laughed at it as they came to a stop right outside the gate - the brunette obviously ready to allow Weiss to return home for the evening.

"Thanks for coming out again, Weiss."

"Thank you for the invitation," she replied sincerely, staring a little too deeply into Ruby's eyes while she tried to differentiate moonlight from liquid silver.

That's when she blinked, realizing that the moon was already making an appearance on the horizon.

"Are you going to be ok walking home by yourself?" she asked, concern building in her chest. "I can have one of the drivers -"

Ruby reached out and placed three fingers against Weiss' lips - instantly putting an end to her words. She stared at the girl, eyes wide in surprise.

"I'll be just fine, Weiss. It's not that late and it's not a bad neighborhood. Plus, I'm fast!"

The girl grinned and removed her hand from Weiss' mouth, swinging her arms back and forth and jumping up and down as if preparing to sprint away.

For her part, she remained frozen for just a few more seconds before her senses returned to her.

"I…I guess...I just don't want anything bad to happen…"

"Would it make you feel better if I texted you when I got home?" Ruby suggested, expression serious.

She nodded her head - yes, that would make her feel immensely better. That way, if Ruby didn't message within the next hour, she could send the entire police department out in search of the girl.

"Ok, here give me your phone number," Ruby said, pulling out her phone and handing it to her.

Once she was done entering her contact information, she handed the device back to the girl - making note of the wallpaper featuring another picture of Ruby and Yang together. The brunette tapped a few keys before Weiss felt her own phone buzz in her jacket pocket.

"There - now you have my number too! And you should text me sometime - if I'm not at practice, I'm usually bored and on my phone in class."

"You should pay attention in class."

She grimaced when the words left her mouth - far bossier than she had intended them to sound, but Ruby just ran a hand through her hair with a laugh.

"Yeah...well I can multitask! Don't worry - Yang would kill me if I failed a class, so I make sure to learn enough to get by."

Taking a deep breath, she reminded herself that not everyone had to throw themselves into their studies like she had. Some people had other things to live for - family, friends, sports.

"Text me as soon as you get home, ok?" she said instead, giving Ruby a hesitate smile that was returned full force.

"As soon as I walk in the door!" the girl swore, turning around and waving back to her as she made her own way home.

"Goodnight, Weiss!"

"Goodnight, Ruby…"

Rooted to the spot, she struggled to hold onto the girl's image for as long as humanly possible, refusing to move a muscle until the girl had disappeared from view.

There was something about Ruby...invisible as the cool air nipping at her cheeks but powerful as hurricane force winds…

Ruby was special -far more special than anyone she'd met in this life so far.


	7. Chapter 7

**Remember this feeling...because I make no promises on how long it will last :P**

**Please read and review!**

* * *

After looking at her phone for the one hundredth time today, she let her arm fall back to her side with a sigh.

True to her word, Ruby had messaged as soon as she'd made it home safely. The two of them had then exchanged messages for the next several hours - continuing their conversation from earlier while Ruby threw in some jokes at her older sister's expense.

It wasn't until the new day had broken that they'd finally said their goodnights. She'd tried to fall asleep immediately after, but her mind had refused to slow down for another hour.

She'd awoken exhausted, but that was the least of her concerns at the moment.

She'd yet to hear from Ruby this morning...and was wondering if she should be the one to message the brunette first. Was that something she could do now that she had the girl's phone number? Or had it just been a one time occasion?

Had she made it clear enough that Ruby could message her at any time?

It was possible the girl was still sleeping, or had class, or practice...and she really didn't want to interrupt the girl if something more important was going on.

If Ruby wanted to speak to her, then she would text.

But until then, she would continue to glance at her phone every ten seconds - the normally unused device now attached to her palm. Having nothing else to do after eating a small breakfast, she was pacing again, striding from room to room while her thoughts ran rampant and unchecked through her mind.

It was only when she passed her mother in the foyer did she cease her pacing - not wanting to receive another scolding. But her mother just walked calmly past this morning, hardly taking notice of her at all.

"Weiss," the woman spoke only when she was already in the next room, "I need you to go to the bakery today and decide what cake you want for the reception."

With her mother unable to see her, she grimaced at the task she'd just been assigned.

Cake tasting? She hardly enjoyed sweets to begin with.

Of course, her mother held an equal disdain for desserts, which was the only reason the woman was handing off this responsibility.

God, did she really have to? Honestly, she cared very little for what flavor the cake was. She probably wouldn't even end up eating a piece of it. This job was much more suited for someone who _really_ enjoyed...

Her lips curled into a smile while she lifted her phone back up to eye level.

"What time?" she called to the other room - fingers already tapping out what _had_ to be the best invitation in the world...and the perfect way to begin a new conversation.

"Three," her mother replied.

Sending the message, she waited no longer than five seconds before a reply buzzed her phone - a grin-inducing acceptance of her invitation having arrived.

Her day now remarkably brighter, she slipped her phone into her pocket and looked up just in time to see her father rushing out of the office - slipping a coat over his shoulders while heading off to work.

"Plans today?" he asked gruffly while buttoning the jacket and searching for shoes in the hall closet.

"Cake tasting."

He huffed in amusement at her response.

"Got coerced into that one, did you," he replied, knowing exactly how much his wife and daughter enjoyed sweets. There was a reason why desserts weren't served with their dinners, after all.

But she smiled, the prospect of spending the afternoon trying different flavors of cake made all the better by the thought of Ruby's company. Her reaction must have been unusual, causing him to look at her curiously for just a second before he remembered his more pressing, important matters.

"Get whatever you like - only the best for my little girl," he said while rushing out the front door, not even bothering to close it behind him.

She watched him walk to the car parked out front, Jezebel already waiting in the vehicle - ready to be whisked off to the office together.

A small frown found its way onto her face as she watched the sleek, black limousine pull away from the front door.

Somewhere along the way, he'd missed that she wasn't his little girl anymore.

Gone were the days where she idolized him - with his fancy suits, fast-talking friends, and never-ending gifts. Gone were the times when she'd viewed his 'assistants' as her best friends - the women always treating her with kindness and affection she rarely received from her own mother.

She understood now that the women were just pandering to her in an effort to grow closer to his heart...or, more realistically, his wallet.

And his doting on her began and ended with what he had the ability to purchase to keep her entertained.

You think horses are cute? Here's an entire stable filled with them.

You like music? Here are all the instruments needed to start your own orchestra.

You want to look at the stars? I'll have a planetarium constructed on the roof for you.

All exquisite things - gorgeous, beautiful, the best money could buy - but those things were still awfully lonely when there was no one around to share them with.

Today, however, her bitterness towards the man's inability to raise children lived only as long as it took for the car to disappear from the driveway.

Pushing the door closed to prevent more cold air from entering the front entryway, she headed quickly to her room to prepare to meet Ruby - feeling another smile appear almost immediately when she thought about the girl.

A few hours later, she was standing patiently in front of 'the best' cake bakery in town, gloved hands shoved in her pockets while her slow, steady breathing threw little puffs of air in front of her.

It seemed like she was always the one waiting for Ruby...not because the girl was late, but because she was early. She liked to think of herself as a very prompt person, but being timely was very different from being early - arriving early was a sign of eagerness.

Which was it? Was she being prompt, or arriving early?

Her brain ceased its hyper analysis when her ears picked up the sound of feet quickly approaching her. Turning around, her eyes widened in surprise as Ruby very literally ran towards her.

"Hi, Weiss!" the brunette called from the other end of the block, legs still smoothly carrying her down the sidewalk. Coming to a stop directly in front of her, Ruby placed both of her hands on her hips and let out a long breath with a huge grin. "Long time no see!"

She continued to stare - the girl was wearing nothing but track shorts and a jersey in this cold weather.

"Aren't you cold?" she finally asked, forcing her gaze away from Ruby's long, toned legs up to warm, silver eyes.

"Nope! I'm all nice and warm as long as I'm running!" Ruby replied with a triumphant grin, before running one hand inconspicuously along her bare arm. "Of course, I'm not running anymore so…"

"You dolt…" she said softly, grabbing the girl by the elbow and dragging her inside the bakery.

The store felt overly warm compared to the weather outside, but the feeling quickly began to thaw the chill that had set into her cheeks and nose. The rest of her senses were assaulted by sugar.

There were cakes _everywhere_ \- stacked in cases directly in front of them, standing on displays in the front windows, on tables placed throughout the small entrance. The air was heavy with the aroma of vanilla, sugar, and frosting - the mere scent raising her blood pressure substantially.

Trying to adjust gradually to the smell, she made an effort to slow her breathing - taking shallow, meaningful breaths only as often as she needed to maintain consciousness.

Ruby, however, drew in a deep breath and let it out with a sound of ecstasy.

"Smells so gooood!"

At Ruby's words, a portly older man suddenly appeared from one of the doorways directly behind the display counters.

"Ah, Miss Schnee, you've arrived," he greeted her happily, stepping out from behind the counter to shake her hand.

"I hope you don't mind that I brought a...friend with me," she replied after he had released her hand.

Her eyes flitted to the side, wondering if it was too much of a leap to refer to Ruby as her friend already. But finding Ruby smiling at the man, oblivious to her words, she relaxed.

"Not a problem at all - the more the merrier, I always say!"

Waving them past the display counters, they followed him towards the far end of the store, where he directed them into a small, private tasting room. It was no more than a square room predominantly occupied by a single square table already set with two place settings. He pulled out Weiss' chair for her while Ruby dropped down into the chair across from her - the brunette either not knowing or not bothering to wait for the man to do the same for her.

"I'll be right back with what we've prepared for you," he said with an awkward small bow before rushing out the door.

She looked down at the place setting in front of her - a single plate, dessert fork, and knife. The plate was fine china - an intricate pink and gold rose design swirling along the edges. There was also an empty teacup of matching design with the steaming teapot already sitting at the end of the table. It smelled like chamomile - her favorite flavor. Either an uncanny coincidence or excellent reconnaissance on the man's part.

She then turned her attention across the table to Ruby, who was twirling one sterling fork expectantly in her fingers while staring at her with a grin. Flushing, she realized that this was the most intimate atmosphere they'd shared so far - the room so small and their positions so close.

Before she had a chance to start up a conversation, the man reappeared in the doorway with an assistant close behind - holding a wide tray filled with cakes.

"Ok ladies...we have here a banana cake with chocolate buttercream frosting…" he began, removing the small cake from the tray and setting it down on the table between them. "And a wonderful hazelnut-almond cake with raspberry filling and chocolate ganache…"

Ruby's eyes grew wider and wider while the man continued to introduce each cake like a starlet, setting them down in two neat rows of five running across the middle of the table between them.

She found herself far more amused by Ruby's reactions to the cakes than by the cakes themselves. The brunette was practically drooling - eyes intently tracking each dessert while it made its short journey from the tray to the table in front of them.

"And finally...a lemon cake with lemon curd filling and vanilla buttercream frosting," the man said as he delicately placed the last cake down on the table. He then set two pencils and pieces of paper down in front of them, which would evidently be used to write down their thoughts on each concoction.

"We can make any combination you'd like, so if you don't find something you love here - feel free to ask. And, of course, we can always do a more traditional chocolate and vanilla combination for you."

When the man turned to leave, Ruby grabbed ahold of the sleeve of his baker's jacket at the last second.

"Uh...do you think I could have some milk?"

A girly giggle slipped past her lips when the baker looked at Ruby in surprise.

"Milk?"

"Yeah, like a big glass of it?" the brunette replied, blushing nearly imperceptibly.

The man glanced quickly at Weiss, but she just shrugged her shoulders - causing him to rush out to fetch Ruby her glass of milk.

"You can't eat cake without milk," Ruby told her factually.

"Apparently not," she replied with a smile while pouring herself a cup of the steaming hot tea.

The baker returned with a tall glass of milk moments later. Where he had gotten it, she didn't know - it could very likely be the same milk used as an ingredient in the cakes.

But Ruby seemed unperturbed, taking a big drink before giving Weiss another grin.

Satisfied that Ruby was now content, she turned her attention back to the cakes sitting in front of them.

They were small - each a six inch round - with two slices conveniently cut out of each one. Each cake had its own individual name card placed delicately on top, with its name scrawled in fancy black cursive.

Taking the items that had been left at the end of the table, she glanced at the slips of paper - which had been preprinted with the names of each cake and spaces to write down their thoughts as they made their way through the list.

It was a very organized system. She must admit that she was impressed, but, then again, this was the best cake maker in all of Vale. They were the single destination for having a wedding cake, or any cake for that matter, custom made.

"Ok...shall we start?" she asked, picking up the small silver cake server that had been provided and preparing to serve their first piece.

"Yes! Please!"

Shaking her head at the girl's enthusiasm, she chose the cake closest to her and furthest on the left, making sure to give Ruby a piece first before dropping a slice onto her own plate.

The brunette immediately began devouring the entire thing.

"Mmm wow oh my god Weiss!" Ruby managed to say in between forkfuls of cake. "This is sooo good!"

She made a note of the name - white butter cake with raspberry filling and lemon buttercream frosting - before daintily picking up her fork and sectioning off a small bite for herself. Placing it in her mouth, she chewed it thoughtfully before swallowing - sugar now coating her teeth and tongue.

The miniscule portion of ice cream she'd eaten last night was really enough to last her the entire year...yet here she was adding even more sugar to her system.

"Not bad…" she said, glancing over to find that Ruby had already eaten the entire slice.

"Here, want to finish my piece too?" she offered, picking up her plate and holding it out towards the girl.

"But you're supposed to be trying these too!"

"I just did - but there's no way I can eat all of this. Why don't you eat the cake and give me your expert opinion, and I'll keep record on this sheet?"

She waved the piece of paper in the air with her other hand, smiling when she saw her reasoning make a dent in Ruby's resistance.

"Ok, fine - you be record keeper, I'll be cake eater!" the girl finally agreed, allowing Weiss to scrape the rest of the uneaten piece onto her plate.

"What would you rate this one?" she asked, writing down her initial reaction to the flavor.

"Uhh...7!"

Writing down the number, she nodded her head in satisfaction.

"Not a bad start, but I think we can do better," she said, grinning when Ruby's eyes sparkled in joy. "This next one looks like a winner too - chocolate devil's food cake with raspberry filling and vanilla buttercream…"

No sooner had the dessert hit Ruby's plate did the girl begin inhaling it in large mouthfuls.

"Mmmmm wow this is way better than the first one!"

Again, she took just one bite.

The sugar was quite overwhelming, but the combination of chocolate, raspberry, and vanilla was somewhat appealing.

Sliding her plate across the table so Ruby could finish her slice, she began writing down her thoughts as well as Ruby's reaction.

"What would you give this one?" she asked without looking up, knowing that the girl was still happily eating.

"An...A minus!"

"An A minus?" she asked, looking up to receive a chocolate filled grin.

"Yup! Definitely an A minus."

Laughing, she wrote down the score without another word and continued on to the next cake.

Eight cakes later, they had tried all ten cakes with various degrees of success. She had absolutely no idea how Ruby had managed to eat nearly twenty slices of cake without throwing up, but the brunette seemed none the worse for wear. At least they were _small_ pieces of cake and not normal ones...

Holding their scorecard up in front of her, she began reading the results out loud.

"Ok...we have a B+ and an A-...two 'thumbs up'...an 'excellent' and a 'very good'...a wink...a 3 and a 7, although I'm not entirely sure if those were on scales of 1 to 5 or 1 to 10...and one rating dependent on the answer to 'what is passion fruit anyway?'"

Placing the paper back on the table, she couldn't decide if she was extremely amused or vaguely frustrated by the lack of a cohesive rating system. It made making a decision exceptionally difficult - picking the winner impossible at first glance.

Clearly the result of a sporadic, unsystematic brain...or a clever brunette playing a trick on her...

And from the way Ruby was grinning at her, she was beginning to lean towards the latter.

"Let me see!" the girl said, sticking another forkful of cake into her mouth before reaching across the table for the sheet of paper.

"Hmm...mhmm, mhm, mhm," Ruby murmured while her silver eyes scanned the list - sounding as if the answers made complete sense to her.

"Can you pick your top three?"

"Sure!"

The girl grabbed the extra pencil from the table and quickly circled three names. "But which ones did _you_ like, Weiss? It's your cake, after all!"

Accepting the paper back from Ruby, she looked at the three selections.

"Ironically...I liked the same ones you did," she fibbed, not really caring for one flavor over the other. There had been a couple she really hadn't liked, but the rest tasted the same - sugar, sugar, and more sugar.

"Really?"

Ruby nearly squealed with happiness that they'd picked the same ones, the fib immediately paying dividends.

"Ok, but you need to pick which one you liked the best - I did all the heavy lifting over here!" the brunette said, patting her stomach with a smile.

Biting her lower lip lightly, she looked at the three cakes still in contention - doing her best to remember Ruby's reaction to all three. Which one had the girl seemed to enjoy the most?

The lemon cake had certainly been quite good...but for someone with Ruby's sweet tooth, it probably wasn't quite sweet enough. The devil's food, raspberry and vanilla was certainly sweet enough, but Ruby didn't really seem to like the chocolate cake that much.

That left her with one option - which the brunette had seemed to enjoy immensely - a white butter cake with raspberry filling and vanilla buttercream frosting.

She'd also enjoyed that cake, not so much for the flavor, but for the wink she'd received as a rating.

"And the winner is…" she said, reaching out and plucking the name card off the correct cake. "Cake number 7!"

"Ohhhhh I _loved_ that one!" Ruby squealed, bringing a smile to her face at the girl's happiness.

"Oh, and the raspberry center will go with the flowers!"

Feeling her smile fall ever so slightly at those words, she watched Ruby thoughtfully, trying to understand how the brunette was feeling at this moment. But she could find nothing hidden underneath that cheerful demeanor.

"It would be really pretty with some silver designs on the side," she finally said.

The same color as Ruby's eyes...

"You're right!" the brunette replied, thankfully oblivious to her fascination with the color silver. "That would be a really pretty cake!"

Yes...it would be beautiful...and it would remind her of Ruby.

Shaking her head to clear away those thoughts, her eyes drifted across the table still piled high with expensive cakes.

"You should take these home with you - and share with Yang and Blake, if you want."

"Oh nooo, I can't do that!"

Ruby was shaking her head and waving her hands back and forth in front of her, but she could easily see the desire in the girl's eyes. Fortunately, she believed she already knew enough about Ruby to get the girl to agree, anyway.

"I guess the other option is to let the store throw them all away…"

"Ok! I'll take them!"

Laughing at how easy that had been, she finally stood from her chair, with Ruby immediately following her lead. The very instant they walked out of the room, the portly baker reappeared out of thin air.

"Would you be able to box the rest of those up?" she asked the man, who nodded enthusiastically.

"Of course, of course! But, were you able to decide on a flavor?"

"The white cake with raspberry and vanilla," she replied, handing the paper over to him, which had their final selection circled. "And when you decorate it, could you use silver as the primary color scheme? Silver and red."

He was already nodding his head before she'd finished speaking.

"Excellent choice! That will be a very elegant wedding cake."

She flinched at the word, but he didn't seem to notice as he continued speaking.

"Now, your mom gave us pictures to begin working on the cake topper - would you like to see a mock of you and your lovely groom?"

Glancing over at Ruby, who was suddenly very interested in an invisible spot on the floor, she shook her head.

"No, that's fine - just do whatever my mother instructed."

After nodding, he raced off to pack the cakes in boxes for them.

Shooting another look towards Ruby, she found the girl was still rather subdued - at least, far more subdued than anyone who'd just consumed that much sugar should be.

"Why don't you let me give you a ride home?" she offered, realizing again that the girl was dressed rather inappropriately for the weather and for carrying boxes of cakes.

"It's ok - it's not _too_ far."

"It's actually an awfully long way - don't worry, it's not an inconvenience at all. Actually, I insist that you let me take you home," she said, using the best commanding tone she had - which was a pretty forceful one. She was still a Schnee, after all.

"Are you sure?"

"Of course," she replied, waving for the baker to follow her with the three tall boxes he was carrying while making her way out the front door - back into the cold.

Fortunately, James - her driver for the afternoon - was still parked directly in front of the building waiting for her. Seeing her appear, he dutifully stepped out of the vehicle in order to open the passenger door for her and Ruby.

She motioned for Ruby to slide into the car before her, which drew a curiously raised eyebrow from the man.

The more...distinguished...passenger always got into the car first and emerged last - that was the 'rule.' That's why her mother always got in before her, and why her father always got in before either of them.

But Ruby had no idea what unspoken custom she was breaking as she practically jumped through the door into the vehicle. She followed at a more refined pace, muttering a quiet 'thank you, James' before he shut the door behind them.

They waited a few seconds while James loaded the cake boxes securely into the trunk of the vehicle before he got back into the driver's seat. Ruby looked around the interior of the car the entire time - eyes wide as she took in the expensive upholstery, the mini bar, and the television screen taking up the wall opposite them.

All of it was excessive and unnecessary...but it was the only option she had to get around. Her parents had forbidden her to get her own car when she'd asked because driving oneself was 'beneath her.'

"Where to, Miss?"

Without thinking, she rattled off Ruby's address - only realizing that it was a strange thing to do when Ruby turned and stared at her in surprise.

"I have a really good memory…" she explained, feeling her face flush profusely while Ruby giggled at the response.

"Does that mean you have my phone number memorized too?"

If it was possible, she flushed even deeper at the question.

"N-no!" she stammered - a complete lie. "I mean...not quite yet..."

"Aww...that's too bad," Ruby replied with a grin. "I'm _really_ bad at remembering phone numbers. I don't even know Yang's by heart."

"Then I guess I shouldn't feel too bad if I never memorize yours," she responded, smiling when she realized that the brunette seemed to be back to her usual self - the uncomfortable moment in the bakery now just a fading memory.

They spent the entirety of the drive talking about anything and everything...that didn't have to do with cakes or weddings.

It was amazing to her how often Ruby would giggle - the girl seemed to have an eternal well of bubbles right beneath the surface of her skin, escaping with even the slightest provocation.

Even more incredible was the way the sound instantly brought a smile to her lips, occasionally wresting a laugh from her as well.

In far too little time at all, the vehicle was pulling to a stop by the side of the road. Looking out the window provided a view of the apartment building where Ruby, Yang, and Blake lived.

When the door opened, she slid out into the cold first with Ruby seconds behind.

"Thanks for inviting me today, Weiss!" the brunette said, hopping up and down as soon as the cold air hit her skin.

"Thank you for coming," she responded with a warm smile before gesturing inside. "Now get inside and put some more clothes on!"

"I'll carry these upstairs for you," James offered, having just retrieved the boxes from the trunk.

"Oh, uh...thank you, sir!" Ruby said, giving Weiss one more giant smile before quite literally running inside. But she stuck her head right back outside a second later, nearly colliding into James as he followed her.

"Bye, Weiss!"

She returned the girl's wave before the Ruby finally disappeared - her smile then beginning to fade away.

How quickly the light Ruby provided seemed to dim as soon as the girl stepped away from her. It was like a light bulb - either it was on or it was off. There was no in between.

Climbing back into the car, she shut the door herself and waited patiently for James to return - thoughts still on the brunette just inside.

She didn't tear her eyes from the apartment building even when the man returned to the vehicle, resituating in the front seat and starting the engine.

"Will we be heading home now, Miss?"

A sigh passed her lips.

"Yes. Thank you…"

When she heard him clear his throat, she looked towards the front cabin and found his eyes trained on her in the rearview mirror as the car pulled away from the curb.

"She's a lively spirit, that one."

She hummed in agreement while turning her attention back towards the window, watching the houses and buildings slide past.

"I don't think I've ever heard you laugh before today."

Her eyes shot back to the front, but James had already returned his full attention to maneuvering the vehicle through traffic - the comment meant as nothing more than a passing observation.

But he was right.

Before Ruby had come along, she'd hardly laughed at all.

She'd never had a reason to.


	8. Chapter 8

It had never made much sense to her why people her age were always glued to their phones, compulsively checking and reading their messages and emails. It seemed rather pointless - who could possibly be that interesting to demand immediate attention in that way?

Well, it hadn't made much sense to her until now.

She'd quickly learned that if she couldn't spend every waking second in person with Ruby, staying in constant communication was a worthy substitute.

The last couple days apart she'd spent mindlessly traveling from room to room at home while holding an entire conversation with the brunette through text, smiley faces, and acronyms she'd had to look up online before understanding.

And the best part...Ruby seemed more than happy to maintain constant communication with her too.

The amount of information that could be learned during a short amount of time was remarkable...especially for someone like her who normally refused to divulge too much about herself.

There were still a few topics that they refused to touch, however. Although whether that was because she really didn't want to speak about them, or Ruby really didn't want to hear about them, she did not know.

But everything else was fair game - their favorite foods, most embarrassing memories, or record number of cookies eaten in one sitting (anything would have beaten her lowly 'two,' but four whole _packages_? Really?)

"So, Sarah Winchester told me you're having lunch with Cardin today?"

Her smile dropped when her mother's words reached her ears. Looking up from her phone, where Ruby's joke about how Yang could probably sell a car to a monkey currently lay unanswered, she found her mother watching her expectantly from the doorway to the study.

"Oh...right, we are."

She'd been so distracted by Ruby recently, she'd completely forgotten to dread their little 'date.'

"It'll be good for the two of you to spend some time together before the wedding," her mother replied, approval evident in both tone and posture as she turned and walked back into the study.

"Right…"

Spending time together would do very little to positively affect her opinion of the boy, but she wasn't about to tell her mother that. As far as the woman was concerned, Cardin was a knight in shining armor - complete with the bags of money and social connections any mother would wish upon her daughter.

With a rather hefty sigh, she made her way back upstairs in order to finish her conversation with Ruby and prepare for lunch.

It was with a rather gloomy aura that she sat in the back of the limousine a couple hours later, being driven to lunch mostly against her will. If she were to list things she would like to do today, eating lunch with Cardin would rank just above 'being catapulted off a cliff with no means of properly landing.'

"This shouldn't be long," she said when stepping out of the vehicle in front of the small cafe she'd selected for today. "You can wait here for me."

Receiving a nod of understanding from the new driver for today, she walked purposefully into the restaurant - the sooner she got this over with, the better.

The cafe was in one of the more quaint sections of Vale - known for being upper class with more of a neighborhood feel. There were no skyscrapers or tall buildings - the businesses blended into the environment with lots of trees everywhere (most sans leaves except a few that were still refusing to accept the onset of winter). A few houses were scattered across the street - large, but pressed close together compared to the sprawling estates she was accustomed to.

Brushing past several patrons exiting the cafe, she slipped through the door before it had a chance to swing fully shut. Inside was warm, but not unreasonably so. The air smelled of fresh bread - likely what was used to make the plethora of sandwiches on the menu.

It was only moderately busy right now, with enough customers that there was an enjoyable level of conversation clouding the air. Her eyes scanned the small interior quickly - searching for a familiar face.

One thing she could compliment Cardin on was his timeliness - the tall boy already seated at a table waiting for her to arrive. When he saw her walking towards him, he stood up to greet her.

"Hey, Weiss," he said, giving her nothing more than a slight nod before stepping around the small oval table to pull out her chair for her.

"Cardin," she replied with a curt tilt of her own head, focusing her attention much more on her seat than the boy.

It was a chivalrous gesture - but it was made only because that's what he'd been trained to do, not because that's what he wanted to do.

At least by now he seemed to understand that she didn't want him to touch her. She'd made that very clear the night their engagement had been officially announced.

Even though Cardin was attractive, powerful, wellbred...the idea of any type of intimacy with the boy was completely lost on her. There was nothing about him that interested her...nothing that made her stop and wonder...

Thankfully, she'd been able to play the 'not until I'm married' card with him - the only argument the boy would accept.

Not that that was truly holding her back. Love was love, after all - not that she would actually be the one to know…

After retaking his seat, Cardin immediately picked up his phone to resume texting or emailing his friends while they waited for the waiter to appear. Not wanting to be completely rude and do the same, she watched the people pass by through the large glass windows in the front of the cafe.

The two of them had known each other forever, but that didn't mean they were close. If anything, it only meant she'd known how much she didn't like him for a very, very long time.

He was entitled, chauvinistic, egotistical, vain...all the qualities any girl would want in a lifetime partner...

But their families had been involved in business deals together since before either of them were born - although from the way their parents were currently behaving, none of those deals had been nearly as important as this marriage.

When the waiter finally appeared, she placed her order without even looking at the menu - having decided before getting there in order to speed the process along. After they'd both ordered and the waiter disappeared once again, Cardin finally finished his texts - setting his phone down right beside his silverware in case any responses came back.

"So, how's it been, Weiss?"

"Good," she answered shortly, internally scowling each time his eyes glanced towards the phone. "How have you been?"

"Great! Work's really taking off," he replied, leaning backward in his chair while raising his arms confidently over his head - showing off biceps any boy would kill to have.

"Right - I saw one of the billboards while out with some friends," she answered politely, ignoring his pointless attempt to impress her.

"You have friends?"

Dropping her cordial behavior, she bristled at the implied insult. Although not entirely uncalled for, it was still a classless question to ask.

"Are they hot?"

Her lip curled in disgust at his followup question.

"They're not your type," she shot back, far more defensively than she'd anticipated.

Well, _he_ definitely wasn't _their_ type.

Yang and Blake were far too into each other to have any interest in anyone else. And Ruby...well, Ruby just wouldn't be interested.

But _they_ were most certainly _his_ type - attractive females with a pulse.

"So, not hot. Got it," he replied with a wink, as if she'd just saved him from the trouble of pursuing someone unattractive.

"You know who _are_ hot? These girls I've been working with. Jesus they're smokin' - and then the way they're all over me all the time -"

She tuned out the conversation while he continued to rant about how hot these girls were, how much they turned him on, and how often they tried to hook up with him.

She really wanted to say, "Well no shit, Sherlock - they're models, of course they're attractive," but kept her mouth shut and stared out the front window - picking at her meal when it was set in front of her.

She couldn't understand if he was trying to make her jealous or if he was just too stupid to realize this wasn't the type of conversation you hold with your fiancee. Not that she considered herself to be his fiancee in anything other than title - and, from the rumors she'd heard about him and his...exploits, she knew he didn't consider himself emotionally tied to anyone, as well.

Was this what her conversations were destined to be like? Is this why her mother rarely said anything at the dinner table?

How quickly she'd gotten used to having pleasant conversations with people who actually had more than a handful of intelligent thoughts per day. Those were the people she wanted to be spending time with right now, not Cardin.

Like Ruby - Ruby was smart - in her own way. Maybe not a 'book smart' genius, but the brunette had great views of the world and life. An added bonus, she wasn't a disgusting human being who viewed any attractive woman as her next great conquest.

Ruby was funny, kind...maybe just a _little_ unsophisticated, but with a childlike optimism that was absolutely endearing. Simply talking to the girl was enough for some of that bubbly enthusiasm to rub off. The brunette had a way of putting people at ease...her own silliness enough to lower someone's guard.

It was a stark contrast to someone like Cardin, who would immediately take note of any perceived weakness to be exploited at a future date.

Exploiting was what they did, what they'd been raised to do. Their families hadn't come this far without stepping on the backs...and necks...of others along the way.

But that way of life didn't exist for someone like Ruby. There was no neverending struggle for prestige and power. There was just...living and being happy from one day to the next.

It seemed like a better way to live. And Ruby was all the better for it.

When a familiar bob of brunette hair ran by outside, she sat straight up in her chair in surprise.

Ruby!

She watched intently as Ruby and another girl came to a stop on the other side of the street, huffing out clouds of white air, breathing heavily from their run. She didn't recognize Ruby's company - a cheerful looking girl with short, orange hair.

Deductive reasoning told her that they were both on the track team if they were out running together. Although this new girl didn't really seem coordinated enough to be an athlete…

But they were pretty far from Vale University's campus...had they really run all this way?

Orange-haired girl was saying something though, gesturing wildly as Ruby burst into laughter.

Ruby was really pretty when she laughed…

No sooner had the thought crossed her mind did she feel a sharp pain of jealousy - watching the two girls hug before the new girl jogged up the steps of a large brownstone home nearby.

Who was that girl?

And what was she to Ruby?

In their conversations, Ruby had brought up many different names of friends and acquaintances...but since the brunette never gave a physical description of what they looked like, Weiss had no way of knowing who this particular person might be.

_If_ Ruby had even mentioned her before.

They seemed to be close friends from the hug goodbye, but maybe Ruby hugged all her friends goodbye.

But if that was the case, why hadn't Ruby hugged her?

Maybe she put off some sort of 'don't touch me' vibe to everyone around her...although that hadn't prevented Yang from crushing her in a hug the very instant they'd met.

Maybe she just wasn't special enough for a hug yet.

Her attention returned to the girl across the street when she saw Ruby pull out her cellphone and start reading. A small smile appeared on the brunette's face, immediately increasing her jealousy as she wondered who the message or email might be from.

The brunette typed a quick message, then set off in the opposite direction at a quick pace - much quicker than the girl had been running with her friend.

Eyes intently following Ruby away from the cafe, she nearly jumped out of her seat when her phone buzzed against the table. Lunging for the device, she beamed when she read the name lighting up the screen.

Shooting a glance across the table at Cardin, she found he was still in the middle of his stories while checking his phone at the same time. Satisfied that he was still sufficiently occupied by himself that he wouldn't notice her breach in manners, she grinned back at her phone and read the message carefully.

_Hey Weiss, wanna see something cool tonight? Meet me at the campus library at 7?_

She quickly typed back an acceptance of the invitation before running a calculation of how many minutes were left before she would see Ruby again. Her lunch with Cardin became infinitely more bearable now that she knew the boy would leave soon and she would end her day on a good note.

Plus, she'd just witnessed something that made butterflies take flight within her chest.

That smile had been for her.


	9. Chapter 9

**I'm going to TRY to get these chapters up faster. I have everything but the last chapter written and am ready to move on :p So, maybe two a week? No guarantees, but I'll try. **

**Enjoy!**

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Between lunch with Cardin and dinner with her parents, her meeting with Ruby couldn't arrive quickly enough. The day had worn her down - the personalities she'd been forced to endure grating upon her thick skin and steadily depleting her stores of energy.

However, exhaustion couldn't damper her spirits at the end of the day - excitement taking over as soon as she pulled her jacket from the coat closet downstairs.

After having the butler summon one of the drivers to meet her outside, she picked out a pair of gloves and a scarf from the closet as well. Red was the choice for tonight - the color Ruby seemed to commonly wear and thus the color she most closely associated with the girl.

Before heading outside, she paused for a second to closely examine her reflection in the mirror hanging inside the closet door.

The deep red gloves and matching scarf went wonderfully with her white jacket and hair. Thankfully, the shade wasn't too bright - a more vibrant color might have been too much for this evening. With a pair of jeans and black boots, she approved of the low key outfit.

Flashy wasn't what she was going for...fashionable, but not flashy.

Straightening her jacket a fraction of an inch and repositioning her scarf, she was finally ready to leave - confident that she looked as put together as possible.

It contrast to earlier in the day, the temperature had grown colder as the sun disappeared from the sky - the air was frosty as it nipped at her exposed cheeks and the tip of her nose. Thankfully, there was only a short distance to cover down the front steps to the vehicle parked in the driveway - an immaculately dressed driver standing beside the passenger door waiting for her.

"Oh, hello James," she said when she recognized the man - one of the few drivers she actually knew by name. The rest of them cycled through so quickly, it was hardly worth memorizing their names only for them to be gone the next week.

James was the only driver individually assigned to their family through the car service they hired. Though he was most often in charge of driving her father, not her.

"Good evening, Miss," he greeted her with a polite bow. Opening the door, he gestured for her to get inside.

"Where will you be going tonight?"

"The Vale University library," she responded before slipping through the door and making herself comfortable in the backseat.

They didn't speak another word while driving through Vale towards the university. Content with staring out the deeply tinted windows at the street lamps passing by, she tried to convince herself that those weren't nerves beginning to build in her stomach. She wasn't _anxious_ about not knowing what Ruby had planned for them tonight.

And those _weren't _butterflies she felt fluttering around her chest when she saw Ruby sitting on the steps leading up to the giant, four story library - the girl already waiting for her.

Recognizing the vehicle, Ruby was jogging towards them before James had even pulled to a complete stop. The instant the tires stopped turning and the door locks popped up, the brunette pulled open the passenger door and stuck her head inside.

"Hiya, Weiss!" Ruby said with a huge grin when silver eyes found her seated inside.

A laugh escaped her - part relief, part amusement - at what the girl had just done, which had broken half a dozen social rules in under five seconds.

"Hello, Ruby," she replied while making her way gracefully out of the vehicle, trying not to let any of her nerves or excitement show.

Ruby backed away when James stepped behind her and placed his own hand on the car door - the man moderately disgruntled by the way the bubbly brunette had just stepped on his toes.

"I'll wait for you here, Miss Schnee," he commented as he closed the door behind her.

"Oh, you don't have to -"

"Boss' orders - we're not to leave you anywhere without a ride after 6."

"Oh…"

Well that seemed to be a little hyper protective and invasive...but when she looked at Ruby, the brunette merely shrugged and turned to lead them away.

"Come on, it's not too far from here!"

As they walked, she took in the unfamiliar scenery around them - the campus walkways lit by strategically placed lamps, the illuminated buildings hemming them in on either side, and the sculpted trees lining the path. There were many other students entering and exiting the library building, but as they moved further away they passed fewer and fewer people.

Admittedly, she'd only been on the Vale University grounds once before...years ago when her mother had been pretending she actually had a choice on which college she would attend. They had been taken on a private tour, a whirlwind of a hike that had been nothing more than a formality at that point.

That had been during the summer - the campus drastically different as they now headed out of fall into winter. The students this evening were bundled up and looking much more scholarly than they had during the break.

It actually looked like a school her mother might have considered letting her attend...if the median income for the student's attending had an extra zero tacked onto the back.

What might that have been like though? To go to this giant university - filled with such a diverse and interesting student body?

Maybe she would have run into Ruby sooner, although on a campus this size, that might have been unlikely. But if the impossible had happened, it was difficult to decide if they would have been friends or not.

But, say they had become friends...she could have met Ruby for lunch or dinner after classes instead of heading straight home as she'd always done. They could have studied together in the library, instead of her studying alone at home.

She even could have gone to watch the track meets and cheered the girl on.

Before too long, her complete attention was called away from her dreams to their current destination.

They were walking underneath the towering arches of an expansive, square building with a hollowed out center housing a courtyard. Built directly in the center of this open space was a towering spire - nothing but a ten, maybe fifteen story tower with a large clock visible at the very top.

Ruby walked right up to the single door in the bottom of the tower and leaned casually against the wall as if they were going to stand here and hold a conversation. But those silver eyes were carefully scanning the area around them, clearly distracted by an ulterior agenda.

"Do you see anyone behind me?" Ruby asked, eyes fixating on her for just a second.

She peered behind the girl, then shook her head. They appeared to be the only people in this section of campus right now - she couldn't even recall passing anyone in the past few minutes.

Ruby nodded her head and quickly fished keys out of her front pocket, shuffling to one before immediately fitting it into the lock on the door. With a grin and a slight turn of the wrist, the door was unlocked and pushed open.

"Come on," the girl whispered, ushering her into the darkened room beyond.

She froze when Ruby shut the door behind them - the room plunging into nearly complete darkness before she'd had an opportunity to look around. Hearing the lock click back into place, she turned back to where Ruby should be only to find that she could hardly make out the girl's figure.

"Are we allowed to be in here?" she asked, even though she had a pretty good idea that she already knew the answer to the question.

"Well...that depends on who you ask…"

"What's that supposed to mean?"

"Means don't ask!" the girl replied with a giggle.

"But what if we get caught?" she instantly asked, hearing more panic in her voice than she'd like to admit.

But Weiss Schnee had never been anything of a rule breaker. The mere _thought_ of what her mother would do if she were caught doing something wrong, or even halfway improper, was enough to push the idea from her mind.

"Relax, Weiss - we won't get caught!" the brunette whispered back to her. "Come on, I'll lead the way."

Her pulse quickened when Ruby's hand brushed against her arm before sliding down to grasp her hand firmly - gently guiding Weiss behind her.

"There's stairs here - watch your step."

Even with the whispered warning, she managed to stumble over the first stair - her mind far more focused on their joined hands than on where her feet were going.

The decision to wear gloves this evening had certainly been a horrible one. If she hadn't, she would have been able to feel the girl's skin at this moment…

At first, she thought that the brunette must have the interior of the tower memorized in order to pick the way up the stairs. But, after a few minutes of climbing, she had figured out the pattern of the staircases, as well.

Ten stairs up, then turn to the right. Ten more stairs, another right turn - repeat and repeat.

"How do you know we won't get caught?" she prodded, attempting the break the silence that was allowing her to focus far too acutely on Ruby's fingers.

"Because there's only one old janitor who has a key to take care of the clock, and he's only here the first of every month," Ruby replied, no longer whispering as they left the bottom of the tower behind.

"If only one janitor has a key, how do _you _have one?"

When Ruby chuckled nervously, she knew that she'd asked the right question.

"Uh...well...Yang might have...kinda..._borrowed_ the key and made a copy when she went to school here…"

She groaned, although it was a half-hearted sound at best. It was really difficult to be truly upset when Ruby was still holding her hand while leading them upwards. But she'd known that the blonde would be involved in this somehow.

Breaking into one of the buildings on campus just hadn't seemed like something Ruby would come up with on her own. And stealing a key from an old janitor certainly didn't seem like something the brunette would think of or even be capable of.

"When she graduated, she 'bequeathed' the key to me - so I have the only copy now. At least...I'm pretty sure it's the only copy..."

"Well at least we won't be running into her here…" she muttered, more for her own personal benefit, which made it all the more surprising when Ruby laughed.

She would have to admit that this was kind of...exhilarating. She'd never snuck in anywhere before and she'd never broken a rule. But there was a first time for everything...and spending time with Ruby seemed to be all about these firsts.

Of course, she was just rationalizing their current actions to make them seem less inappropriate, but the cold and calculating part of her knew that this was wrong.

She would get into a lot of trouble if they got caught, but she was trusting that Ruby wouldn't take her anywhere that was a legitimate risk.

She...trusted...Ruby.

"Alright, we're here."

When Ruby dropped her hand, she was mildly disappointed that their journey had ended so soon. Both of them were breathing a little heavily from all of the stairs they'd just put behind them - although she noticed that she was far more out of breath than Ruby. Undoubtedly the result of her own lack of exercise and the brunette's overabundance of it.

The outline of a door was just barely visible in front of them, which Ruby set about unlocking before throwing it open with an enthusiastic 'tadaa!'

Cold air and light flooded through the doorway, making her blink rapidly while her eyes adjusted to the new atmosphere. Ruby gestured through the doorway - holding it open so that she could walk out first.

Stepping hesitantly out into the night air, she felt her jaw slacken while looking around in amazement.

They were now standing on a square platform - hardly ten by ten feet - directly below the giant, illuminated clock suspended above their heads. There was a single ladder concealed behind one of the four corner pillars, extending upward to a wire walkway that could be used to reach the actual clock for maintenance.

The platform was surrounded by wall that came up to about her chest - easy to see over, but surely making it nearly impossible for anyone below to spot them.

The view though...it was incredible.

Her feet drew her over to the nearest railing, which she leaned against while staring out - hardly feeling the cool wind that was blowing through her hair.

From here they could see the entire campus...all the way to downtown in the distance.

Her own school, Vale Academy, had been small and regal, but, from this vantage point, Vale U. was sprawling and majestic in its own right - especially at night.

With the darkened dusk sky, the university glowed with soft yellow lights from the pathways to the library windows.

Ruby leaned on the railing right beside her, their shoulders lightly brushing.

"Pretty cool, huh?" the girl asked, eyes looking towards the sparkling city lights.

"It's...breathtaking…" she answered honestly, turning away from the brunette to look out in the same direction.

"Yang told me that she and Blake used to come up here all the time when they were in school," Ruby continued, shifting a fraction of an inch - just enough to cause them to bump shoulders. "They referred to it as 'The Tower'...it was their own secret place."

"Ah...so you lured me to their old hookup spot?" she teased, surprising herself by the boldness of that statement.

"N-no!" Ruby immediately sputtered, waving her hands frantically while looking horrified by the insinuation that she'd tried to lure Weiss here. "W-well, knowing them, yeah - this most likely was a hookup spot - but that's totally not why I wanted to show you! And m-maybe don't touch anything up here…"

She laughed and looked back towards the campus - vision lighting upon a large track, still illuminated by tall flood lights. That must be where Ruby practiced all of the time...

"Actually...now that you mention it, that would explain the legend that the clocktower is haunted," Ruby continued while leaning beside her once again, relaxing once again. "I was told that some nights, if you listened closely, you could hear moans coming from the top…"

The brunette shivered at the thought.

"Ehh anyway, let's not think about that!"

Laughing at the brunette's discomfort, she tried not to think about what the other two girls had done up here - likely in this exact spot, crying out their feelings for each other while -

Shaking her head while letting out a soft cough, she glanced over at Ruby.

"They picked a great spot though - it's so peaceful up here. Romantic too."

When Ruby gave her a wide, doe-eyed look of innocence at that comment, she could guess that the brunette hadn't thought that this little adventure would be construed as romantic, at all.

But it kind of _was_.

Being up here alone...where no one could see them or even find them...with the campus and city as a backdrop and the illuminated clock above serving as a reminder to where they were.

This was somewhere couples could boldly declare their love for one another - for there were no prying eyes anywhere to be found. This was where caution was thrown to the wind, where reservations were let free.

Of course, that probably wasn't how Ruby saw it...the brunette had just wanted her to share in the spectacular view, to take part in something exclusive and 'cool.'

And cool it was - in both meanings of the word.

She was glad she'd worn a nice jacket, because the night air was growing increasingly chilly, especially at their increased height where the wind was blowing a little more steadily. An involuntary shudder ran through her when another blast of wind ripped across the platform, despite her attempt to control her chills.

She didn't want to ruin this moment just because it was a little chilly out.

"Hey, are you cold?"

The question came out of the blue, as if her mind had just been read. Turning to her left, she found that Ruby was now looking at her with concern.

"M-maybe just a little."

Her body betrayed her at that moment, another shiver sending a stutter into her words.

"Maybe I can help?"

Unsure of why the sentence was spoken as a question, she watched curiously when Ruby pushed away from the railing and walked behind her.

She was going to turn around when the brunette disappeared behind her, but instead let out a small, startled yelp of shock when Ruby's arms wrapped around her stomach, pulling her gently backward until their bodies were melded together.

"I-is that any better?"

Ruby's voice was right in her ear now, the girl's warm breath setting her blood on fire. She involuntarily began to shake even more - the result of rampant nerves suddenly coursing through her veins like wildfire.

But, it was considerably warmer now.

"Y-yes," she managed to respond - her eyes looking towards downtown but her brain not recognizing any sensations other than the warm body snugly pressed against her.

Ruby was warm...her breathing fast and shallow in Weiss' ear, while her own arms seemed to be shaking with energy.

"Were you cold too?" she asked, acutely feeling each small shiver that trembled through Ruby's arms.

"U-uh...yeah, kinda..."

Remaining still, she focused on breathing deeply - trying to calm herself while acclimating to another person being so close to her - touching her, even.

Her family hadn't exactly been the biggest believers in physical displays of affection - or displays of affection, in general. So physical contact hadn't exactly been normal growing up.

But...this was different than she would have imagined. It felt nice and...safe...like Ruby was actively trying to shelter her from the cold, to keep the unwanted chill at bay. And, for the most part, the brunette was successful, lending Weiss some of her own warmth at the same time.

Gradually, she calmed down from the initial shock. She could feel Ruby relax at the same time - both of them becoming more comfortable as seconds ticked past.

"I come up here all the time to clear my head - take a deep breath and collect myself. Think about all the hard questions in life, you know," Ruby said softly, words traveling directly from her lips into Weiss' left ear.

"L-like what?"

"Oh...like what I'm going to eat for dinner - stuff like that," Ruby replied with a giggle, the noise tickling her ear while sending chills down her spine.

"Why did I expect anything else?" she answered, struggling the ignore the growing bubble of nerves in her stomach.

It was such a Ruby answer though…something light and humorous to take the edge off a potentially serious conversation. She couldn't help wondering what Ruby did ponder up here by herself…

It was easy to imagine that being up here might be calming for the normally hyper girl - the limited space, but endless vision providing a sense of peace.

"Well…" she began, directing her words out towards the campus, where anyone might hear them if they listened closely enough.

"Maybe I can help answer that question...would you have dinner with me tomorrow?"

Maybe it wasn't a declaration.

But maybe it was a start.


	10. Chapter 10

**I've been on an editing spree recently! That means more Rush for you guys :)**

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What had she been thinking inviting Ruby out to dinner like that?

She hadn't even the faintest idea where they should go - the words had just fallen out of her mouth completely unsolicited. And, as an added bonus, she'd given herself nearly _no time_ at all to mentally prepare herself...

Lack of planning aside, she was still determined to make this dinner the best it could possibly be in what little time she'd allotted herself.

After all, a Schnee thrived under pressure and deadlines, as her father might say.

The better part of the morning had been spent scouring the internet in search of the perfect place to take Ruby for dinner. It needed to be nice, but not so nice that it would make the girl uncomfortable. It needed to have good food, but not anything overly complex or complicated.

And an incredible dessert menu was an absolute must.

Two hours of meticulous searching finally revealed the ideal restaurant - a fancy Italian restaurant near the cafe she'd had lunch with Cardin a couple days ago.

It would be pretty hard to go wrong with classic spaghetti or lasagna...and this place was world renowned for their tiramisu and homemade gelato, which she hoped would be a homerun with a sweet tooth like Ruby Rose.

She'd called ahead and made a reservation for two for that evening - grinning when she thought about how much Ruby was going to enjoy dinner.

Well...she seemed to smile whenever she thought about the girl at all.

The two of them must have stood at the top of the clocktower for over an hour, braving the cold with each other. They'd spoken about little things...and they'd stayed silent, merely enjoying one another's company. It was enough to just _be_ there, existing together.

It had been nearly painful when Ruby had finally released her - and not just because the cold air had instantly announced its enduring presence. As much as it had been a physical connection between them...it had felt emotional, as well.

But, as much as she might have liked to, they couldn't stay up there all night.

After they'd snuck out of the tower and walked back to the library, she'd insisted that Ruby allow James to drive her home. She hadn't wanted the girl to walk home alone in the dark, even though Ruby 'assured' her that she did all the time.

That knowledge certainly hadn't made her feel any better...

Once Ruby had been returned safely to the quaint apartment building, she'd caught a few of James' glances in the rearview mirror, but the man said nothing and she was content to ride home in silence - thoughts dwelling upon the girl she'd just bid goodnight.

It wasn't that strange for her to have a friend, was it?

True, the amount of time she spent thinking about Ruby might border on obsession, but she easily wrote that off as the unfortunate result of never having had a close friend before.

It was an indescribably remarkable feeling to have someone to talk to, someone to spend time with, someone to laugh with...who enjoyed her company, too.

They hadn't known each other for very long, but it was already becoming difficult to imagine days without the silver eyed girl in her life. Something about Ruby was just so...alluring. Whether it was the innocence, the amiable and kindhearted spirit, or something else, she did not know.

But at this point, she didn't care. Ruby was Ruby, and there was nothing she didn't like about the girl. Even qualities she might find annoying in others, she found only to be endearing in the brunette.

The day had passed slowly while she waited for dinner to roll around. Even with her constant texts from Ruby, she found herself more and more anxious to see the girl in person again - to be _physically_ near each other. And, after last night, maybe it would even be appropriate to give the brunette a hug in greeting.

Maybe…although the mere idea of initiating that contact broke her heart into thousands of butterflies.

Along with texting Ruby, she'd helped her mother make a very critical wedding decision - what pattern should be on the dinnerware at the reception. As with everything else, she merely guessed which option her mother liked most through verbal and nonverbal cues, then picked that one. It didn't really matter which design or colors she liked more - her mother's vote would ultimately overrule hers. So, if they both decided upon the same thing from the start, everyone remained happy and there was no need for an argument.

After a lacy red and gold leaf (real gold - they weren't 'paupers' after all) had been decided upon, she'd actually surrendered to the urge to create some music - spending a good portion of the afternoon in the music room.

It had been a long time since she'd last played, so her fingers seemed to slip and strain more than she would have liked them to in the beginning.

But once the rust had been knocked off, she'd easily lost herself in the ivory keys and soulful melodies. There was just something in the tone of a piano note...something that could lift her heart with a jumpy waltz and bring tears to her eyes with a tragic ballad.

As far as she was concerned, music had been the one true gift her parents had unwittingly bestowed upon her. It was the only way she knew to express her feelings exactly how she was feeling them. To her, coaxing a melody from the piano was like writing an essay - trying to find just the right words to describe emotions rather than scenes.

She'd stopped playing some time ago when she'd realized her fingers refused to bring forth anything but sadness...sorrow. The notes had been so heavy - they sat upon her heart after every song, refusing to leave her even when the refrain faded away.

But today, she actually felt a joyful song in her heart - hammering excitedly to get out. It had unwittingly escaped her at several moments throughout the day in the form of a gentle hum, just a few notes bursting momentarily into existence before she caught herself.

It was these types of songs she loved to play - the ones that could lift someone right out of their melancholy...at least, temporarily.

It was a tune of happiness, of hope, of belief that tomorrow would be better.

It was a rainbow...clear skies…

A sunrise...

Several of the housekeepers had poked their head into the room while she was playing, undoubtedly curious as to where the noise was coming from. Many of them hadn't worked in the home long enough to have heard her play before. But those who had knew exactly how long it had been since the sound of a piano had drifted from the room.

But they all carried on without a word - not stopping to interrupt her heart's song.

With how she was feeling, she could have played for hours. The songs were flowing easily - each one as up tempo, light, and quick as the person who had inspired them.

But, after not too long, she was at least partially satisfied and gently dropped the heavy, wooden cover over the keys.

She needed to leave herself ample time to dress for dinner, after all - and spending all day sitting at the piano would do very little in helping choose an outfit.

Even though the weather was supposed to be colder than usual tonight, she decided upon a dress paired with stockings. It was white, knee length, with gorgeous silver snowflake patterns embroidered near the hem. It was also sleeveless, hanging around her neck in a halter, but she wouldn't get too cold if she wore a jacket from the car into the restaurant and vice versa.

Coupled with a pair of silver heels, the outfit was dressy, but it wouldn't overdress the brunette terribly no matter what Ruby wore.

When she'd rushed downstairs and summoned a driver to take her to pick up Ruby, she was a little disappointed to find that James wasn't around this evening. The feeling was short-lived, however, being replaced by excitement after rattling off Ruby's long ago memorized address to the new gentleman.

Her thoughts during the drive drifted over what Ruby might wear tonight.

When Ruby had asked about dress code, she'd merely said that it was a classy restaurant, but not to feel obliged to wear a fancy outfit. She'd seen people there wearing cut up jeans and ratty t-shirts before.

Wearing something nice was simply a matter of preference, and her only preference was for Ruby to be comfortable.

Tonight was all about Ruby, after all.

When the vehicle came to a stop in front of the apartment building, she broke all protocol and didn't wait for the driver to help her out of the car. Pushing the door open herself, she was instantly greeted by a gust of frigid air - the kind that made it difficult to breathe.

Not wanting to spend anymore time outside than absolutely necessary, she raced quickly across the sidewalk before shoving open the door to the lobby - nearly colliding with someone who'd been standing right inside.

"Oh, excuse - Ruby!"

"Hey Weiss!"

The girl was none the worse for wear after almost getting knocked in the head by the front door - still holding a grin that ran from ear to ear.

"What were you doing -" she began to reprimand the girl on instinct, but quickly forced a halt to her words. "I mean, I'm sorry, I didn't see you standing there."

"Don't be sorry, I was just about to walk outside."

Ruby paused for a second and took a small step back, silver eyes sweeping up and down Weiss' outfit.

"Uh...w-wow Weiss...you look incredible!"

The words had her instantly blushing like a ripe tomato.

She certainly hadn't been angling for a compliment with her choice of clothing this evening, but it felt amazing to have received one - and for it to actually feel like a true compliment - not an obligatory courtesy.

It was only then that she took the time to analyze Ruby's outfit, feeling her own surprise grow while she stared at the figure in front of her.

Ruby was wearing a long, flowing black skirt that draped all the way to a pair of shining black heels - the couple inches of added height propelling the girl into model territory. A stunning, scarlet red blouse could be seen underneath an unbuttoned black blazer - the red and black complimenting silver eyes spectacularly.

A simple change in outfit and the childlike qualities were completely gone. Ruby looked...really grown up. She stared for a few seconds longer at the...mature young woman...who was standing before her. It was impressive...and a little astonishing...what a transformation had been made.

It made her realize that there were still many sides to Ruby she had yet to discover.

"Ruby, you look...that outfit looks great on you."

Not exactly what she'd wanted to say, but Ruby blushed and turned away modestly.

"Yeah, I uh...I didn't want to embarrass you so...I asked Yang for advice…"

The girl mumbled her words and ran one hand anxiously through her short hair, appearing bashful while tugging at the bottom of the jacket. But the sentiment was not lost upon Weiss…

"I wouldn't be embarrassed no matter what you wore," she replied, backpedaling when Ruby immediately shot her a quirky grin. "Ok, maybe I would be a _little_ embarrassed, but that's not...I wouldn't...you look wonderful."

The brunette giggled at her flustered answer, reverting to a natural demeanor in a heartbeat.

"I hope you mean that...because you haven't seen me walk in heels yet."

She tried to corral the laugh before it slipped out of her mouth, to no avail. Struggling to maintain a straight face, she waved a hand as if wiping Ruby's concern from the air between them.

"You just need to walk _really_ slowly," she recommended, quite thankful that she'd decided upon a pair of heels for herself tonight - or else the brunette would have dwarfed her severely. Although, she had been quite looking forward to being equal height to the girl for once…

When they moved towards the door, she could already tell that the 'walking slowly' part of her advice was going to go unheeded. Of course, she'd never seen Ruby move at any speed other than _fast_, so she didn't know why she expected stilts to slow the girl down.

She tried remain expressionless while holding the door to the lobby open and motioning Ruby out into the cold.

It was like watching a baby giraffe try to sprint.

Once Ruby had made it safely outside, she quickly passed the girl on the way back to the waiting car - rather satisfied that her own experience wearing heels allowed her to move faster than Ruby, for once. The brunette was struggling mightily with her impediment - slightly wobbly legs trying their best to press forward as quickly as possible without falling over or roll an ankle.

The longer she watched the girl, the more her delight grew. And even though she reached the car first, she braved the cold waiting for Ruby to catch up and allowed the brunette to get in before her - earning a surprised glance from this driver.

"That wasn't so bad, was it?" she asked as she slid into the seat next to Ruby, noticing that the brunette's knee was now bouncing up and down rapidly. The girl seemed extra jittery about something tonight...

"No, well, kinda...Yang said it only takes breaking your ankle once to get really good...but I can't break an ankle right now - I still have track!"

She shook her head at the sisterly advice, but when she opened her mouth to respond, Ruby had already moved on.

"That reminds me. Today at practice, my teammates were having an argument over who they would rather be - that fashion girl on the covers of all the magazines or, uh...or you."

"Super fashion...you mean Coco?"

"Yeah, that's the one!" Ruby said, nodding her head emphatically. "It was about equal - a lot of people wanted to be you and a lot wanted to be her. It was pretty weird...people saying they wanted to be you..."

"I could imagine that -"

"But when they asked me who I'd rather be, I said that I can't be you. Because if I'm you, then where would you be?"

She stopped trying to speak, feeling a frown crease her forehead while she waited for Ruby to say everything she clearly needed to say. It was certainly unlike the girl to go on like this without allowing her to get a word in though.

"They didn't get my answer, so I said that I don't want to be you because you're perfect just the way you are. That's when they figured out I actually know you and kept asking me all these questions and saying 'why didn't you tell us?'"

When Ruby looked directly at her, she was met by silver eyes filled with concern...confusion. Her breath caught in her chest while she waited for what was to come next.

"You're just...you're a _really_ big deal, Weiss. Other people want to _be _you and be best friends with you...why would you hang out with me?"

The question hurt a lot more than she thought it would, but it was her own fault that Ruby even needed to ask. She'd been so consumed by enjoying the anonymity Ruby afforded her, that she hadn't even paused to think about what the girl's friends and classmates might have to say.

Maybe she wasn't some internationally recognizable celebrity, but her _name_ was certainly known by everyone. It was impossible for a single day to pass without some article featuring her family's name to show up in the papers, after all.

This was clearly the time when Ruby needed an answer from her - reassurance, even.

Which was, unfortunately, what she struggled most with. After opening and closing her mouth several times, vetoing several responses before they made it into existence, she finally decided that a little honesty might be the best approach.

Just be honest.

"Because you _don't_ treat me like a big deal, Ruby," she answered sincerely, a temporary spike in her nerves sending a jitter through her knees. "You're...you're just you and I can be just me. And I don't consider myself to be a 'big deal,' so I like...I like the way things are with you."

Her face flushed deeply - feeling as though she'd just attested to far too many of her intimate feelings out loud. But the last thing she wanted was for Ruby to think that she was using her in some way. Or, even worse, taking pity on her for some reason.

"You're a big deal to me, Weiss! Just...not because of the money and stuff."

Just like that, Ruby's concern had disappeared - replaced by an easygoing smile and a small blush.

But the words made her heart soar - happy that Ruby had so readily accepted what she'd just admitted.

She was about to ask Ruby why anyone would want to be her when she felt the vehicle sliding to a smooth stop. Peering out the darkened windows, she found that they'd completed the short drive to their destination.

When the driver opened the door, she was greeted with another blast of freezing air as she exited - her first breath visible as a cloud of frost. Waiting patiently for Ruby to appear behind her, she nodded to the driver before they set off for the front doors of Alexander's.

Once they were both on the sidewalk, she allowed Ruby to take the lead towards the restaurant.

Giggling when Ruby took one giant step forward only to step down with a wavering foot, she rushed forward and grabbed ahold of the girl's hand. It wasn't until after she'd made the gesture that she realized what she'd done - too late to back away without looking even more awkward.

"Y-you need to take smaller steps," she advised. "Like this."

Grasping Ruby's hand, she set the pace from the car to the restaurant - taking shortened, dainty steps which Ruby hesitantly matched. A light giggle told Weiss that the girl was enjoying herself, walking with fewer falters as more concentration was placed on her steps - while Weiss prayed that her palm wouldn't continue to grow more and more clammy.

After pulling open the front door with her free hand, she dropped Ruby's when they walked inside the warm building - inconspicuously wiping her palm on the side of her jacket while pausing to take in the scene surrounding them.

The small front entryway was crowded with people. The few chairs lining the walls were all occupied, with even more people standing while waiting for a table. The host at the front podium was hastily speaking to guests while also answering the phone, scribbling notes down on the papers in front of him.

"Wow, this place is busy," Ruby commented from beside her.

When she turned to look at Ruby, her eyes caught sight of the young man standing just to Ruby's right - his eyes roving the girl's form far too freely for her taste.

Feeling a sneer appear, she gently took the girl's elbow and steered them towards the host, still housing a moderate amount of contempt for the young man.

"Hello," she directed towards the host when he'd gotten off of the phone.

"I'll be with you in just a minute," he responded, attitude brusk and dismissive.

Certainly not the demeanor she expected...or was willing to tolerate...right now.

"Reservation for two for Weiss Schnee," she spoke anyway, positive that the name would catch his attention.

And catch his attention it most surely did.

"Oh! Miss Schnee - I uh...I'm sorry it's just really hectic and…"

He scrambled for a few minutes, hands frantically searching for menus.

"We have your table ready! Will you follow me this way?" he said, flashing a smile that was more nervous than anything else.

She returned his smile in kind and nodded for him to lead the way. Turning to give Ruby a real smile, they both followed the host towards their seats.

It was the best table in the restaurant - she had made sure of that beforehand. The intimate little booth sat in the very corner of the building where it wasn't too noisy - making it easy to hold a conversation without being overheard or seen by everyone who walked in.

Once the man had placed the menus down on opposite sides of the table, she allowed Ruby to pick a seat first.

"Is there anything else you need?" the host asked, turning towards her before she took her seat.

"Oh, yes," she said quietly, shooting a quick glance towards Ruby to make sure the brunette was adequately distracted at the moment. "There was a young man with blonde hair waiting up front. Please don't seat him anywhere near us."

He gawked at her while she took her seat, before nodding his head and hurrying back to his post.

"Oooooh Italian! I _love_ Italian!" Ruby gushed, opening the menu and placing it on the table in front of her.

"Is there any food you don't like?" she asked while following suit.

Her eyes didn't fall to the menu though - focusing instead on the brunette while waiting for an answer. Whenever she asked questions like these, she could feel her mind sharpen when an answer was about to appear - knowing that her brain would immediately file it away under the 'important to remember' tab.

"No, not really!"

She relaxed when Ruby laughed, having received the response she'd been expecting. At least it would be easy to pick out places to eat if the girl enjoyed everything.

"So...what do you think you'll have?" she asked, finally turning her attention half-heartedly to the words written in front of her. She already knew what she was going to have - the lobster linguini dish she'd had once before when here with family.

"I think...spaghetti and meatballs."

A laugh escaped her before she realized that Ruby was being completely serious in ordering the simplest item on the menu.

"I've heard their spaghetti is really good," she immediately followed up, mentally chastising herself for laughing at Ruby's decision.

But the girl didn't appear to be affected at all, sending a beam across the table that could have powered all of Vale for the evening. Her own eyes immediately sought refuge in the menu to avoid being blinded by that light.

"So Weiss, what did you do today?"

Risking another glance, she found Ruby with both elbows planted on the table - leaning forward while intently awaiting her answer. She felt a bubble of anticipation appear in her chest - the kind that preceded great conversations full of laughs and honest disclosures.

And the next hour and a half was filled with just that - the two of them filling their section of the restaurant with whispers, giggles, and playful teasing.

Their waiter seemed amused every time he stepped up to their table - but none more so than when she ordered every item on the dessert menu for Ruby.

"_Everything_?" he'd asked in shock. "Even all the gelato flavors?"

And Ruby had managed to eat nearly all of it - the girl's endless appetite never ceasing to fill her with amazement.

When their waiter finally appeared with the bill, she handed over her credit card before the check could even hit the table - immediately drawing a series of adorable whines from across the table.

"Heyyyy, Weiss! You can't pay for all this!"

"It looks like I just did," she responded with a smirk, satisfied with how that had played out in her favor.

"But you hardly even ate anything! You have to let me pay for at least half!"

Tapping a finger to her chin in fake consideration, she shook her head.

"I'm the one who invited you - guests don't pay, remember?"

She used Yang's line knowing that Ruby would be familiar with the concept - and the reasoning did make a substantial dent in the girl's resistance.

"Ok…" the brunette finally agreed. "But I'm buying next time!"

Ruby's cheerful resolution to their 'problem' brought out a smile.

Next time...she liked the sound of that.

Not that she minded paying either. For once, her never-ending spending allowance offered her the opportunity to do something she actually wanted to do.

It was nice...being able to spoil Ruby. Unlike most people who just expected her to buy them things, Ruby expected nothing from her at all - which made the experience of giving actually meaningful.

"Are you ready to go?" she asked when the check had been signed, receiving a nod in response.

Stepping out of her seat, she watched Ruby do the same - deciding that she would never tire of seeing the brunette in this outfit. Allowing Ruby to lead the way out, she flushed when she realized she was gazing a little too intently after the girl.

As soon as they stepped outside, the din of conversation faded to near silence when the front door shut with a heavy thud. She nearly bumped into Ruby when the girl stopped in her tracks in the middle of the sidewalk.

"Weiss, look - it's snowing!" Ruby said excitedly, pointing one hand up towards the nearest streetlamp, where speckles of white could be clearly seen descending towards the pavement. "That means it's finally winter!"

Without a response, she watched the snow drift slowly down around them, tiny flakes dotting Ruby's hair and eyelashes with white. Combined with silver orbs that radiated pure, unrestrained joyfulness...she was convinced there were few images as beautiful as that which was before her very eyes.

But it was a bittersweet moment - on the heels of a delightful dinner with an amazing person - to be reminded of what lay ahead for her...for both of them.

Yes, winter had finally arrived…bringing with it the immaculate white snow promising purity and new beginnings.

All they had to do was survive the impending cold, first.


	11. Chapter 11

**Happy Mother's Day! A gift from me to you - the next chapter! Please read, review, and have a great day!**

* * *

"The mayor _and _his wife already RSVP'd - as well as three of the five senators we invited!"

She refrained from rolling her eyes at the chorus of 'ooh's' the boast received - positive that the ladies in attendance felt little more than jealousy over her mother's proclamation.

There were few events she loathed more than the monthly tea parties her mother hosted at their home. Full of catty gossip and lambasting the unfortunate soul who might have missed the date or been snubbed an invitation, it did little to ingratiate her with life as matron of the Schnee name.

If anything, it made her detest the position even more. For all she could tell, these women were her mother's rivals - why invite them over to share a cup of tea? Why go through all the trouble just to pretend to be civil for an afternoon?

Regardless of how she felt, she was forced to attend each month in order to learn how to become the 'perfect hostess.' Of course, once the casual pleasantries had been directed her way, no one paid her any attention for the rest of the gathering. Her lack of participation in the hearsay probably had something to do with that…not that she minded her exclusion in the slightest.

Today's topics of conversation revolved around the wedding and who would and would not be attending. It made her uncomfortable to hear all of the important people who were going to be there - powerful men and women she'd been introduced to several times, but would by no means consider more than acquaintances.

But the wedding was turning into _the_ event of the year - the one party everyone was dying to attend. Everyone except for her, of course...

Risking another glance towards the clock on the wall by the doorway, a soft sigh escaped her.

There were so many other people she would rather be speaking to right now…

Well...there was _one _other person she'd rather be speaking to.

Right on cue, her phone began buzzing in her pocket with an incoming call. Her heart jumped with excitement as she pulled out the device, only to be immediately disappointed by the unknown number displayed on the screen.

Oh well, it would at least get her out of this room for a minute.

Motioning to her mother that she had a phone call, she received a nod granting permission for her to exit the room. The instant she was in the hallway, she pressed the 'accept' button and lifted the phone to one ear.

"Hello?"

"Hey Weiss!"

"Who is this?" she immediately asked, not recognizing the voice.

"'Who is this?' It's Yang! Ruby's sister? Stunningly beautiful, funny as hell - we had ice cream together, remember? You couldn't keep your eyes off me the entire time."

The name instantly conjured a mental image of the blonde - voice and personality matching perfectly with the person on the other end of the line.

"Oh - hello Yang," she replied with a smile, choosing the ignore the clear exaggerations the girl had just used. "To what do I owe the pleasure?"

"To what do you…" Yang repeated before laughing. "God, don't be so formal, Weiss! Blake and I just wanted to invite you to a track meet. And you should definitely come - your favorite person will be there!"

"Ruby?" she eagerly asked, heart skipping a beat.

"No! Me! Jeez…"

The sound of Blake giggling in the background made her smile again as Yang continued speaking.

"But yes, Ruby will be there too - so get your rich booty over there! I'll text you the deets."

She looked down at the screen when the call unexpectedly disconnected - a text from the same number arriving seconds later.

Rich booty...well, that was certainly a new one.

Glancing back towards the room she'd just vacated, she summoned one of the servers and instructed the woman to let her mother know where she'd gone, but _only_ if asked. She was doubtful the woman would even notice her continued absence, but it still wasn't worth the risk of disappearing without a word.

It was curious why Yang and Blake were inviting her when Ruby had not, but she figured maybe the two girls also wanted to be friends - which would certainly be alright with her. It was highly possible that the brunette had instructed them to invite her in the hopes that they would spend time together.

Although Yang could be a little...much...sometimes, Blake was very easy to get along with. Combined with finally getting to see Ruby run, it should be a very enjoyable time - much better than her original afternoon plans had looked.

Within the hour, she was dropped off near the front entrance of the massive building hosting the track meet. After stepping out of the vehicle, she ignored the questioning glances she received for her lavish method of arrival as she hurried through the doors with the rest of the arriving spectators - keeping her eyes peeled for the two girls she was supposed to be meeting.

As soon as she stepped through an interior set of doors, her attention was absorbed by the enormous space she'd just walked into. The atmosphere was that of open air - an entire track housed within a single, continuous building. It was a surreal environment - one she'd only seen outdoors being moved beneath a large dome, where climate control negated the cold weather and fluorescent bulbs in the ceiling flooded the area with artificial light.

To the left of the track stood the spectator stands, providing an excellent vantage point from which to watch the events. Her feet drew her in that direction, assuming that that's where Yang and Blake would likely be.

There was a crowd of people milling about - coming and going from the stands as well as the field. Many spectators, but a few participants wearing uniform track suits were rushing towards their next objectives. The sound of cheering brought her gaze back to the track, just in time to watch several of the athletes go sprinting around the curve - the competition already underway.

Not seeing Ruby in that group of runners, she hurried over to the bleachers - not wanting to risk missing the brunette's first event.

The two girls ended up being easy to spot - seated in the very middle of the stands in one of the top rows. Blake spotted her first as she made her way carefully past other spectators - the girl nodding her head in Weiss' direction while sending a wave. Yang spun around and grinned when her eyes found Weiss - her beaming, friendly smile immensely familiar, yet different at the same time.

"Hey there, Miss Fancy Pants," the blonde greeted her, the name somehow sounding incredibly endearing in the girl's tone.

"Hello Yang, Blake," she replied, nodding her head to each in greeting. "Thank you for inviting me."

Yang waved her off.

"Please. We could use the company - that and Ruby really, _really_ wanted you to be here. Little Roo Roo just couldn't summon the courage to invite you herself."

"So she gave you my number to have you do it?" she asked, feeling flattered and a little confused why Ruby hadn't had the nerve to ask her.

The blonde immediately went coy at the question, glancing towards Blake with a tiny grin.

"Welllll...my _exceedingly_ talented girlfriend might have...lifted your number from Ruby's phone…"

"Don't worry, that's all I did," Blake added quickly, undoubtedly responding to what must have been a look of mortification at the idea of the girl reading through their text messages. Not that they'd been saying anything _bad_, but Ruby did love to joke about the two…like by saying Yang had 'cat scratch fever' or that Blake was the only one with 'keys to Yang's handcuffs.'

"Anyway, come on, sit down - Ruby's going to be running next!" Yang said, patting the section of the bench beside her.

Sitting down beside the blonde, she felt her posture stiffen on the metal bleacher with no back support to speak of. It was certainly an uncomfortable way to watch any event, but the vantage point couldn't be discounted.

"The 800 meter is first," Yang explained, correctly assuming that she had never been to a track meet before. "They're lining up there at that end."

Following the direction Yang pointed, she found a handful of girls preparing for the next race - Ruby being one of them. The brunette was dressed in the same uniform as many of the other runners at the meet - a dark red fitted tank top with skintight, _short_ black shorts.

The uniform was extremely flattering on Ruby, for whatever reason. It could be the way the shorts made the girl appear even taller than she was - revealing more skin than Weiss had been expecting. Or maybe it was the toned arms the tank top was revealing...

The red contrasted with the colors of the rival schools, a green and silver combination, navy blue and gold, and a sickly looking yellow and green monstrosity.

"How far is 800 meters - two laps?" she asked, eyes refusing to leave Ruby while the girl stretched in anticipation of the upcoming event, bending over to easily touch her toes.

"Four laps - this is a smaller track than outdoors," the blonde corrected.

"It'll go pretty quick though," Blake added helpfully from Yang's other side. "They'll finish right there in front of us."

"Yes, perfect spot to watch baby sis take home the gold," Yang said, rubbing her hands together in anticipation.

It was endearing to see how excited Yang was to watch Ruby race - a welcome sight to find sisters so supportive of one another.

Although she was also extremely excited to see Ruby run - that feeling only growing in magnitude when the racers began separating into their individual lanes.

"Uh oh...she's in lane 5."

"What's wrong with lane 5?" she immediately asked, the tone of Blake's voice filling her with unsubstantiated worry.

"Five is her unlucky number," Yang answered, eyes still glued to the track. "But don't worry, she's still got this."

After committing the random fact to memory, a loud beep caught her attention - the racers assuming their ready stance. Another chime and the girls froze in position, heads tilted down while preparing to uncoil the energy trapped within their limbs. The last alert - the sound of a gun going off - had hardly sounded before the racers shot off their blocks, springing forward as if propelled by a cannon.

Her own heart was pounding in her ears as she watched the runners rush past them for the first time, all six forming a nearly straight line as they remained within their lanes. It wasn't until they reached the first bend that all six runners converged to the inner lane - separation now visible while the girls ran in a nearly single file line around the track.

Some of the faster competitors would pass the racers in front of them on the righthand side before quickly moving back to the middle. By the time the first lap was completed, the clear contenders stood out in front - a group of three girls that included Ruby.

While the second lap was underway, her eyes remained fixed upon the brunette's form - heart racing just as wildly as Ruby's must be, if not more so.

Watching the girl run was incredible - mesmerizing - like watching a world class dancer or artist at work.

She knew little about proper running form, but the way Ruby ran appeared effortless - as if the brunette was expending hardly any energy to coax such power from her limbs. Her toned arms pumped up and down in a steady, perfect rhythm while her muscled legs drove her forward.

Compared to the other two runners directly in front of her, it looked like Ruby was hardly trying at all.

By the time the third lap ended, Ruby had moved in front of the girl ahead of her, slipping into second place and running right on the heels of the girl in first. The runner in third wasn't far behind, separated by less than a full second.

Watching the competitors enter the first bend of the last lap, she felt herself unconsciously lean forward when Ruby inched towards the outside to pass the girl in first - noticing Yang do the same. Her pulse raced as Ruby sprinted the far straightaway - drawing even to the girl in green and silver.

"Come on, come on…" she heard Yang mutter into her hands, knees bouncing up and down uncontrollably. "Turn on those rockets, Ruby…"

The two front runners had already entered the last curve when Ruby finally seemed to step on the accelerator - stride quickening as she began to inch ahead of her competitor, ready to pull in front of the girl and take the lead. Weiss felt her own knee bouncing against her will - an extension of nervous energy as the race wound to a close, the two girls rapidly approaching the finish line.

Ruby was going to win, she could just feel it - she could see that Ruby had saved enough energy to edge her opponent at the very last second.

But then, the unimaginable happened.

Just as Ruby was about to fully exit the last bend of the track, the girl who was falling behind stuck out her foot - the appendage catching Ruby's in mid-stride, sending her crashing to the ground at a frightening speed.

The green haired girl stumbled for a second from the contact before regaining her form and racing to the finish line uncontested.

Already on her feet - hands covering her mouth in horror - she watched apprehensively while Ruby slowly stood, arms and knees covered in scrapes and bleeding freely. Several of Ruby's teammates had already rushed over to help her limp off the track after the rest of the racers finished - guiding the girl towards what was hopefully a medical table in the very corner of the building.

She opened her mouth to protest what had just happened, but failed to find her voice - the words strangled in her throat before they could be heard. It felt like a vice had tightened around her heart - preventing her from expressing any fear or anger.

Fortunately, the furious blonde standing beside her had no such problems voicing her displeasure.

"That - that fuc - ow!" Yang yelled, turning to Blake in surprise after her girlfriend pinched her in the arm. "What was that for?"

"Language…" Blake replied softly, tilting her head towards a family with small children seated nearby. Yang followed the girl's gaze before turning back to the track and pointing angrily.

"But that fu - ouch! Ok, ok. That...that _bucking fitch_ just tripped Ruby on purpose!"

The blonde then turned away from the track in disgust, running one hand through her long hair while expelling a loud breath of air through her mouth in abundant frustration.

"Shouldn't we make sure she's ok?" she tentatively asked, knowing that she wanted to go check on the extent of the girl's injuries as soon as possible. Something about the idea that Ruby was in pain threatened to strangle her heart right then and there.

"It's ok, Weiss - she's tough, she'll be just fine. It's that green-haired cheater who should be worried..." Yang grumbled, sitting unhappily back down on the bleachers.

"But didn't you see all the blood?" she pressed, feeling queasy at the memory.

"We've seen her scraped up worse than that before," Blake reassured her while also patting a still-steaming Yang on the shoulder.

She bit her lip at their responses - she really wanted to make sure Ruby was ok, but didn't want to seem overly protective, especially when Yang wasn't rushing off to check on her younger sister's health. Not knowing what to do, she just continued standing, trying to figure out what would be most appropriate in this moment.

"If you really want to go, we'll meet you down there later. I just want to watch Penny in the next race," Yang finally said, anger seeming to have diffused modestly in the past few seconds.

"You mean you want to watch _Pyrrha_ in the next event," Blake instantly responded in a teasing tone.

"W-what? No, of course not! I want to show support for Ruby's friend!" Yang sputtered, the blush on her cheeks giving away the lie.

"Who's Pyrrha?"

"That fiery redhead over there," Blake replied, pointing towards the center of the track. "She transferred, so is our age but in her last year of school. Yang has a _huge_ crush on her."

Yang slapped Blake lightly across the shoulder at the comment.

"I don't have a crush on her! I just...really like watching her throw…"

"Uh huh…"

"Seriously, Weiss, she can throw a javelin further than anyone I've ever seen. It's like she's a warrior princess or something."

Blake rolled her eyes, not appearing bothered in the least by her girlfriend's 'crush' on another girl.

"We should go talk to her after the races are over. Ruby says she's really nice."

"What? N-no! I could never - I wouldn't know what to say!"

"Looks like Pyrrha's hair isn't the only thing on fire anymore," Blake teased, poking Yang in the cheek playfully while the blonde pouted.

Realizing that this teasing could go on for awhile, she decided to leave the two of them behind - making her way down the bleachers before heading in the direction she'd seen Ruby taken, praying that the brunette was ok.

It was on her way to find Ruby that she caught a flash of green out of the corner of her eye. Momentarily diverting from her quest, she turned to find the girl who had just tripped Ruby standing nearby, laughing while slapping hands with a tall, silver haired boy who appeared to go to the same school.

For some reason, the sight of the girl so cheerful when Ruby was likely in pain made her livid - far angrier than she'd been in a very long time. Before there was time to second guess herself, her feet were stomping over to the girl.

"What kind of person trips a competitor like that?" she demanded furiously, not caring that the girl was several inches taller than her or had arms rippling with muscles.

"Uh - who are you?" the girl asked, quirking an eyebrow at her - amused in the face of her anger.

"I'm -"

'Weiss Schnee' nearly slipped out of her mouth - the instinct to use her family's name built into her very genome. But from the look this girl was currently giving her, she found it difficult to imagine even that would help her cause.

"A spectator who is aghast at your lack of spirit!" she finally shot back, unable to construct anything more biting under the unexpected pressure.

The girl laughed - the tall boy standing with her joining in, as well.

"Oh...don't tell me you're that loser's girlfriend!"

"She's not -" she snapped, blood boiling at Ruby being referred to with such a degrading term. But the girl just grinned while cutting her off.

"You _are!_ Damn, never thought I'd see the day Ruby Rose managed to land a girl. A _real_ one too!"

"I'm not -"

The girl's eyes drifted past her with a sneer.

"Oh, hey Ruby - just chatting with your girlfriend here."

"She's a feisty one," the boy added with a smirk.

Surprised, she spun around to find Ruby standing directly behind her, an unreadable expression on the girl's face.

"Come on, Weiss," Ruby said, merely nodding in recognition of the other two before grabbing her by the elbow and turning her away from the confrontation.

"It was nice meeting you!" she heard the green haired girl call out from behind them in a sickeningly sweet tone. "And Ruby, maybe next time you can finish an event _without_ eating pavement!"

She bristled when she heard the two start laughing, trying to turn back around only for Ruby to increase the pressure on her elbow in order to prevent such an action. Deciding not to resist the brunette's direction, she obediently followed in Ruby's footsteps - having no idea where they were headed as they wove through spectators and competitors towards the edge of the building.

"Ruby, I -"

Her words faltered when Ruby turned towards her, expression patient and...still. But she didn't know what exactly to say to such a reaction - she felt like she was supposed to apologize, but she hadn't done anything wrong. At least, she didn't _think_ she'd done anything wrong. She'd just been trying to stick up for Ruby - to right a wrong.

"I don't understand why you let them say those things about you," she finally said, feeling her agitation return as the word 'loser' echoed in her head.

If being sweet and kind-hearted made someone a loser...well, then everyone should strive to be one.

Ruby nodded slowly, appearing to completely understand where her confusion was stemming from.

"People like Emerald and Mercury are always looking for a fight. You can't let them get to you."

"But she blatantly tripped you! You would have won if it wasn't for that."

"I know that...and Emerald knows that. My coach knows too. But there's nothing more that can be done about that now. Believe me, if I thought saying something to her would do any good, I would do it. But she just feeds on negative energy - it only makes her try even harder to be mean."

"I just don't see how you're fine with being cheated out of winning…" she muttered, knowing that she would definitely _not _be ok if the same thing had happened to her.

But Ruby just shrugged and finally gave her a smile.

"I don't care about winning. I just like to run! If I had to focus on winning all the time...well then I'd probably quit."

Staring at the brunette, she realized that she'd overreacted - thinking only about how _she_ would feel and not how Ruby felt. And, apparently, to the brunette it hadn't been a very big deal at all.

It was a truly mature approach to a somewhat horrible situation.

When she opened her mouth to truly apologize for her behavior, another girl suddenly rushed past and practically flung herself into Ruby's arms for a hug - hanging on for several long seconds before pulling away while clasping both of Ruby's hands in her own.

"Ruby, are you ok?" the girl asked, voice filled with concern while carefully examining the girl's wounds.

"I'm fine - just a little banged up. Nothing a few days and a couple bandaids won't fix!" Ruby responded cheerfully.

It was only then that she was able to catalogue the extent of Ruby's cuts - rolls of gauze now covering scrapes on both the girl's knees, elbows, and a large patch on her right forearm. Thankfully the blood was now hidden, but she could only imagine the bruising that would appear tomorrow.

The new girl continued to look concerned while she taking in exactly what Weiss was seeing - her mouth turning to a frown. She suddenly remembered where she'd seen this girl before...it was the same orange haired girl who'd been running with Ruby that day she'd had lunch with Cardin. In front of the cafe - this was the girl Ruby had been laughing with and gave a hug before texting her.

Jealousy pricked at her skin from the memory as she sincerely wished for the girl to let go of Ruby's hands. The longer the two remained connected, the more territorial she began to feel, some not so polite words appearing in her mind.

The girl had been overly touchy feely on that day too, if she remembered correctly...so maybe that was just the way the girl was and there was nothing to get worked up about...

"Are you sure you'll be alright? Would you like for me to call a doctor to look at your wounds?"

Again with the worry. It was like this girl was in love with Ruby or something from how distressed she sounded over a few cuts and bruises…

And if Ruby needed a doctor, _she_ would be the one to call. Her family gave exceedingly large amounts of money to Vale's most prominent hospitals should these situations ever occur. _She_ could provide Ruby access to the very best doctors in Vale with a single phone call, if it was necessary.

"I'll be just fine, Penny, thank you," Ruby responded with a reassuring smile.

She cleared her throat softly at that moment, drawing Ruby's attention in surprise.

"Oh I'm sorry - I forgot you don't know each other!" the brunette said, words tumbling out as she rushed to correct her mistake. "Weiss, this is my friend, Penny. Penny, this is Weiss!"

She couldn't help feeling relieved when Penny finally released Ruby's hands in order to shake her own.

"Oh, Weiss Schnee! Or, as Ruby says, 'the most perfect girl in the world!'" the girl said with a beaming smile and a firm handshake.

Caught off guard by the girl's unexpected candor, she didn't know whether to continue being envious or to be embarrassed by the bluntly honest words.

Shooting a glance towards Ruby, she noticed that the brunette was certainly choosing the latter side of the equation - blushing while staring at the ground and saying, "Pennyyyy…I uh...I didn't say it _exactly_ like that..."

"I...It's...very nice to meet you," she stuttered in response, her own cheeks warming with the beginnings of a flush.

Silence captured their conversation - both she and Ruby looking anywhere but at each other while Penny smiled obliviously at the two of them.

"So...Penny, how did your race go?" Ruby finally asked, thankfully attempting to change the subject.

"It was sen-sational!" the girl responded emphatically, raising both hands in the air to underscore her excitement. "I placed second."

She was confused why second place elicited such a happy reply, but Ruby nodded her head in understanding and they moved on as if it was a nonevent.

"Will you be racing again today?" the orangette asked.

"Nope, coach scratched me from the last two events - I'm actually going to get my stuff now to go home."

"Good - get better soon!" Penny replied, surprisingly identifying that social cue correctly while backing away from the two of them. "It was nice to meet someone as perfect as you, Weiss! See you at practice, Ruby!"

Leaving Weiss with another blush, Penny hurried away from them.

"She seems...really friendly…" she commented, her words stirring Ruby to action as the girl resumed her walk towards their destination - a long row of lockers with bags and discarded clothing flung everywhere.

"She's great," Ruby replied while finding a specific locker and easily removing her personal belongings - a worn backpack and her jacket - before slipping into a pair of track pants. "A really great friend to have, even if she's a little weird sometimes."

Nodding her head, she couldn't help being a little jealous that Ruby had other friends who seemed exceptionally close to her. It made her wonder how Ruby thought of her...was she a great friend, as well? Or only good?

Maybe better than great?

What would that make them...best friends, maybe?

No...best friends were people known for years and years. It would be impossible to form that sort of bond in such a short time. That title likely went to Penny...as much as she hated to admit that.

"Are you feeling ok?" she finally asked as they made their way back towards the bleachers - her attention catching on the slight limp in Ruby's gait.

"I'll survive - oh, how did you know where the meet was today, anyway?" the brunette asked, suddenly very curious.

"O-oh uh...Yang called me and invited me. I hope that was ok?"

She didn't ask what she really wanted to...why Ruby hadn't invited her...

"Of course it's ok! I'm sorry I didn't invite you myself…"

She focused on Ruby's words when she realized the girl was going to answer the question for her regardless.

"I just...I know sports aren't really your thing. I didn't want you to feel like you _had_ to come just for me…"

The answer was a little too honest - pain pinching at her heart for Ruby believing she wouldn't want to come just because she didn't watch sports. She had reason to believe that the brunette would go wherever Weiss invited her no matter how much interest she had in the destination - was it really that difficult to see that she would do the same?

"Ruby, I had a great time watching you run. It was...amazing. And really exciting," she answered honestly.

"Really?" the girl asked in cheerful surprise. "Well, if I'd known you were here, I would've tried a lot harder - I would've won for sure then! Maybe even broken my personal record."

"Then maybe next time I should make sure to sit in the front row," she replied teasingly, flattered that Ruby would try to show off just for her.

Ruby gave her a wide smile before turning away in apparent modesty.

"So, uh...does that mean you'd like to come to the next meet? It's not for a few weeks - the indoor championships…"

"I would love to."

She wasted no time answering, already knowing that she would really love to watch Ruby race again - and hopefully see a rematch with Emerald end very differently.

Preferably with the green haired girl 'eating pavement.'

Ruby gave her a big smile at the response, hopping up and down a few times in joy before finally settling back into a limping walk. A few seconds of silence passed before the girl spoke again.

"You know...you're the only one besides Yang who's ever stood up for me like that."

Her mouth dropped open, but she didn't have the chance to respond before the aforementioned sister spotted them - the other two girls having relocated near the bottom of the stands waiting for them.

She could only watch in amusement while Yang rushed forward and wrapped both arms around Ruby - lifting the girl a few inches off the ground while Ruby let out a girly squeal of both embarrassment and joy.

"Ruby Roo! I was worried about you!" the blonde cried out, setting her sister carefully down before taking a closer look at the bandages.

"Not worried enough to miss Pyrrha throw…" Blake added with a grin, easily sidestepping the elbow Yang sent her way.

"Can it, Tuna!" the blonde ordered before turning her full attention back to her sister. "Man, she really messed you up good. Did you want to go out and celebrate?"

The question instantly lit Ruby's face with a huge smile, while Weiss felt her own fall into confusion.

"Like ice cream?"

"You got it, Rubbles!"

"What are you celebrating?" she finally asked - not understanding what there was to celebrate when Ruby had been cheated out of winning and suffered injuries in the process.

"You mean what are _we_ celebrating, Princess - you're not getting off the hook that easily," Yang corrected her. "And Ruby's new battle wounds, of course!"

"We actually don't celebrate when she wins," Blake added with a sly smile.

She looked from Blake, to Yang, to Ruby - all three girls grinning at her, clearly very pleased with their own quirky tradition.

Which was just that - quirky. And a little weird. But completely...them.

"Sounds like we should find the nearest ice cream shop then," she replied with a smile.

Ruby and Yang let out identical 'whoop's of excitement before exchanging high fives - an adorable exchange to witness - before the four of them began their walk towards the exit, Weiss and Ruby again trailing behind the two girls in front.

"It seems like you have a lot of pet names…" she commented quietly to Ruby, her words somehow overheard by the blonde ahead of them.

"Oh yeah, she totally does!" Yang responded happily. "Rubbles, Rubes, Rubsta, Roo Roo, Rooey, Rue, Kangaroo, The Stinkeroo, Rubadoo, Yang #2, El Buckaroo…"

She looked at Ruby with wide eyes while Yang continued rambling off a neverending list of nicknames. Ruby just shrugged and laughed at her expression, quickly slipping her arms through the sleeves of her jacket before they walked out into the cold.

"You can use any of them," Ruby whispered in her ear while Yang continued an ever growing list of rhyming words, most of them dissolving into nonsense by this point.

Being granted permission to call Ruby by a nickname...it felt like a truly special honor - one reserved only for those closest to the brunette. But she didn't want to use a name that Yang used...she wanted something unique...special...something that was hers to use and hers alone…

"What about...Ruby the Rocket?"

Ruby let out a happy laugh while she nodded her head enthusiastically at the suggestion, before casually throwing one arm around her shoulders - tugging her a little closer as they walked towards the waiting vehicle. Suddenly it wasn't just the frigid temperature outside that turned her cheeks rosy pink.

"I love it! Ruby 'the Rocket' Rose - it makes me sound super fast _and_ incredibly dangerous!"

She grinned as they piled into the limousine - happy that Ruby had reacted so favorably to what was actually a pretty horrible suggestion for a nickname. Of course, the girl didn't seem to mind in the slightest - cheerfully babbling 'Ruby the Rocket' over and over again while Yang whined that her made up names were cooler.

Super fast...yes, Ruby was definitely super fast.

Incredibly dangerous...well, the way Ruby sent her heart into stutter steps certainly didn't _feel_ dangerous. It felt exhilarating and...right.

But maybe that was the dangerous part.


	12. Chapter 12

**I'm hyper focused on this story right now - I think I'll get two more chapters up this weekend for you guys.**

**Please read and review!**

* * *

Her room was extraordinarily large...for _any_ person, regardless of age…but today it felt too small, confining even, as she paced back and forth in front of her bed.

The day had been progressing normally until a phone call from the wedding caterer had arrived right as lunch was wrapping up. Apparently, they were unable to source the right ingredients from Vacuo due to the never-ending drought in the area, but would be bringing in the supplies from Mistral instead.

The news had been...very poorly received...and her mother had been in a positively foul mood ever since.

Not wanting to risk being caught under the woman's magnifying glass, she'd decided that her room was the safest place to be for the time being.

Of course, her room wasn't where she _wanted_ to be right now - and she'd managed to wear a nice line into the floor while she walked quickly back and forth, phone in hand.

It had been several days now since Yang had invited her to the track meet - where she'd gotten to witness Ruby run for the first time before the four of them had gone to have ice cream together once again.

And, even though she and Ruby kept in near constant communication via text messages, her chest was burning with desire to see the girl again. It was a very, _very_ strong urge - one she eventually conceded wouldn't go away until the brunette was in her presence.

But she couldn't just text and say 'I need to see you' - she needed a legitimate reason...or an invitation of some kind.

She could invite Ruby somewhere, that would be easy enough. But the real question was...where?

She'd already eaten dinner (having been granted permission to eat in her room, leaving her father to deal with her mother's fury alone) and she imagined Ruby had likely eaten or would be shortly, as well.

They could go see a movie? That seemed like a pretty harmless invitation...something friends did often, but she didn't know anything about the films currently in theaters.

They could go out for dessert? Ruby would always be willing to get ice cream...but she didn't know if _she_ could consume anymore sugar right now. And inviting someone only to not partake in the invitation would be unusual and suspicious, not to mention a little rude.

Glancing out one of her bedroom windows, she knew taking Zwei for a walk would be out of the question. The sun had nearly disappeared from the sky at this point in the evening, and the temperature at night had grown far too frigid for being outside to be any fun.

Her family had wonderful seats at the philharmonic that would be playing this evening, but she didn't believe classical music would really be in Ruby's taste.

A sports event, maybe?

She immediately discarded that idea. She knew even less about sports than she did about movies. The last thing she wanted to do was invite Ruby somewhere and then make a complete fool of herself through lack of knowledge.

It needed to be something that shouted 'Ruby Rose'...somewhere the girl's inner child could be set free...somewhere loud and flashy with lots of different colors and candy...somewhere like...

An arcade.

The idea instantly brought a grin to her face as she imagined the hyperactive brunette running from machine to machine - the loud noises and bright lights probably over stimulating for someone with Ruby's energy level. But it was inside, it was laid back, and Ruby would absolutely love it.

It was perfect.

A quick internet search later, she'd found the best, biggest arcade in town. It even had a cotton candy bar - she didn't _exactly _know what that was, but she would make sure to buy some for Ruby.

Typing up the invitation, she sent it on its way before sitting down on the edge of her bed, waiting anxiously for a response.

When her phone buzzed, she looked at it in excitement, only for disappointment stir as she read Ruby's reply.

_I'd love to! But I'm behind on final projects...i should really spend tonight working on those :( some other time?_

Setting the phone down in her lap, she let out a big sigh, feeling physically deflated at the prospect of waiting another day to see Ruby again.

But it really couldn't be helped if Ruby had schoolwork to do. She certainly wasn't going to suggest that the girl go to an arcade rather than work tonight. Of all people, she knew how important it was to have a good amount of time devoted to working in a quiet, studious environment...

Her lips curled upward as she typed a response - her last ditch effort for instant gratification.

_Want to work over here?_

Ruby had mentioned several times how noisy Blake and Yang could be. And within the confines of that small apartment, she could imagine it might be exceptionally difficult to focus with multiple distractions - _especially_ for someone who already seemed to lack desire to focus on homework.

When her phone buzzed with Ruby's reply, she could have jumped off the bed in excitement upon reading it - the girl agreeing to come over right away.

It was only then that she realized she'd just invited Ruby into her home - where she'd never voluntarily taken anyone before.

Would Ruby want a tour of the house?

Would she want to see her bedroom?

Spinning slowly in a circle, her eyes swept over every inch of the room before she nodded in satisfaction. Her room was in good order, as it always was. There didn't seem to be anything she should be overtly embarrassed about - other than its gargantuan size and extravagantly priced belongings.

Making note of the time, she estimated she had twenty minutes until Ruby would be here. If she moved quickly, that would be enough time to take a quick inventory of the important downstairs rooms and alert the head housekeeper of impending company.

On her way out of the room, she made sure to pause by the mirror to examine her reflection. Wearing a short, white dress with stockings and a pair of black flats, she decided she looked just fine before heading off to complete her tasks.

They were only going to be studying, after all. There was no reason to dress any fancier in her own home. If anything, she was probably immensely overdressed.

With a few minutes to spare, she made sure to make it to the foyer to wait for Ruby's arrival. The rest of the house was already immaculate, which made sense with the army of maids in their employ.

She'd also managed to pinpoint her mother's location - the woman entertaining a guest in the sitting room - so she knew exactly what area of the house to avoid once Ruby arrived.

The doorbell ringing out through the entryway made her jump in surprise, having expected to be buzzed from the front gate. Realizing that the head housekeeper had probably allowed Ruby through the front gate as expected company, she shook her head to rid herself of the startled confusion.

Running both hands quickly across her dress to smooth any wrinkles, she took a deep bath and walked towards the front door - shooing away the butler who had appeared to answer the bell. It wasn't customary for a Schnee to personally answer the front door, but she didn't want Ruby to feel uncomfortable being greeted by some strange man. It would only further highlight the divide between the Schnee household and a 'regular' home.

Plus, she really wanted to see the girl.

Swinging the door open, a smile appeared instantly when she found the tall brunette standing in front of her. It felt like a burst of oxygen had finally filled her lungs after days of holding her breath.

"Hey, Weiss!" Ruby greeted her with a cheerful grin.

"Ruby," she responded, motioning the girl quickly inside so as to stem the flow of frigid air into the house. "Let me take your jacket -"

Something else a Schnee never did...but Ruby gladly shrugged out of the heavy winter coat and handed it to her, oblivious to this fact. She rushed over to the closet and quickly hung it on the first empty hanger she could find before turning back to her guest, sparing a few seconds to fully take in Ruby's appearance.

The brunette was dressed for a warm, cozy night in - wearing a dark red Vale U. track hoodie with a pair of black track sweat pants. Slung over one shoulder was the strap of a worn out black backpack that looked like it was filled with bricks, though likely just schoolbooks.

The outfit only emphasized the girl's athleticism, making her look like...well, kind of like a jock. Weiss could never personally pull off that look, but it was super attractive on the brunette - just another side of Ruby discovered.

Reminding herself that it was rude to stare, she coughed lightly and focused on starting a conversation instead.

"Did Yang drop you off?"

"Oh, yeah," Ruby answered, looking inexplicably embarrassed by the harmless question. "And uh...she told me to tell you 'hello.'"

Her eyes narrowed at the response.

She'd been forced to attend more than enough business dinners to know a polite fib when she heard one. And, she may have only met Yang twice, but _once_ was more than enough to know that the blonde would have much more to say than a simple 'hello.'

"What else did she say?"

Ruby immediately flushed - knowing her attempted cover up had been discovered.

"I don't want to say…"

"Oh come on, you can tell me!" she said, throwing in a reassuring smile for good measure. The last thing she wanted was for Ruby to hide things in order to protect her feelings.

No matter how crazy they might be, she could handle them.

Maybe.

"Ok, fine…" Ruby replied, puffing out her cheeks adorably before reluctantly continuing. "She said, 'Ask Weiss how long it would take for Blake and I to do it in every room.'"

Her cheeks warmed, but she let out an unexpected laugh at the ridiculous question - causing a passing housekeeper to stop and stare at the out of place sound. She ignored the woman, far too focused on the embarrassed Ruby Rose standing in front of her at the moment.

"Remind me never to invite them inside," she said, her words earning a grin from Ruby.

"Or at least don't let them out of sight!"

They both laughed at that - knowing that Yang would absolutely try a stunt like that. She could only wonder how the blonde always managed to get Blake to go along with such things. Blake seemed to be so...level-headed...

Deciding some things shouldn't be thought on too deeply, she refocused on the girl she'd been dying to see for the last few days.

"Would you like a quick tour or should you get right to working?"

"Uh...how long would 'quick' be in this place?"

She actually had to think about that question - wondering how long it would take to make it through all the rooms. Since she'd never shown anyone around before, it was impossible for her to know. But there were a _lot_ of rooms.

"How about just my favorites?"

Receiving a nod of approval, she set off with Ruby in tow on their much abbreviated tour. There were only a couple rooms in the house she was actually fond of, so a shortened tour wouldn't take very long at all.

They had to take the long way to the first stop though in order to avoid her mother at all costs. Not that she didn't want to introduce Ruby to her mother...she just didn't want to introduce her mother to Ruby.

For the first stop of their tour, she took Ruby to the gigantic banquet hall in the back of the house - a huge open space they used to host all kinds of Schnee events, be it company related or otherwise. Not a fan of the actual events, she was an extremely big fan of the room they were housed in - for one reason.

The ceiling.

The ceiling of the banquet hall had been constructed out of the most magnificent stained glass she'd ever laid eyes upon. It wasn't a mosaic, per se, but she'd spent many days as a child lying in the middle of the floor, looking up and trying to pick out different colors and patterns that appeared to create images.

Because 'Schnees don't lie on _grass_,' this had been her own version of lying down outside and looking up at the clouds.

It was a little more difficult to see the room's true beauty at night, but during the daytime, with the sunlight filtering through, there was no more beautiful stained glass masterpiece in the world.

The first words out of Ruby's mouth had been "Look at that _ceiling_!" - just as she'd hoped they would be. The brunette had then laid down on the floor, just as she'd done when she was much younger, and instantly picked out a jack rabbit, two foxes, and a snail.

She'd never found the snail before...

Next, they'd gone to the music room, where the brunette had tried and failed to convince her to play a song on the piano.

She was far too embarrassed to play the only tune in her head - a song so noticeably affectionate, even someone unaccustomed to listening to piano would be able to pick it out.

'Some other time - when you don't have work to do' had been her excuse, which had prompted Ruby to make her _promise_ to play next time she was over. That promise had been readily agreed to.

They had then poked their heads into the billiard room and atrium before she finally suggested they head to the study room (a full blown library, but she didn't want to sound pretentious by calling it such).

"Uh...aren't you forgetting something?"

The question caught her by surprise as she racked her brain in search of what she'd 'forgotten.' It was only by the size of Ruby's grin that she finally pinpointed exactly what the brunette was referring to.

"My room?"

"Your room!" Ruby crowed gleefully, before clasping her hands together in a pleading gesture, blinking those big silver eyes oh-so innocently. "Pleaseeee?"

Like she stood a chance in hell of saying 'no' to that…

"Ok, real quick," she replied, hiding her grin at the tiny 'whippee!' Ruby let out.

Leading Ruby upstairs to her bedroom, she gently pushed open the door, standing to the side so Ruby could walk in behind her.

"This...is it…" she said, watching as Ruby's eyes looked around in amazement - the girl showing far more interest in this room than any of the previous ones.

When Ruby spotted the bed, she squealed with joy. And before Weiss even understood what was happening, the girl dropped her bag to the floor, raced across the room and leapt through the air before landing on top of the bed with a soft 'oomph.' The piles of expensive covers puffed up upon impact, nearly swallowing the brunette whole.

"It's - so - fluffy!" came Ruby's voice from inside the mountain of covers, while she continued to stare in surprise.

Letting out a laugh, Ruby laid there for a few more seconds before hopping off and rejoining her with a grin, immensely happy with what had just occurred.

At least, Ruby was happy until she turned around and saw the bed.

"Oh, sorry I messed it up!" the brunette quickly said, turning back so she could straighten the covers.

But Weiss instantly reached out and grabbed the girl's hand in order to stop her.

"Don't worry about it," she said, dropping Ruby's hand as if it were on fire when she realized she was holding it a little too familiarly.

"Are you sure? It was all pretty before…"

"I think I can live with indented covers," she replied, making Ruby laugh.

"I don't know about that...you didn't see your face!"

"I didn't...I didn't make a face!" she refuted, cheeks flushing while Ruby kept chuckling at her.

"Uh huhhh you did! It was like -" Ruby twisted up her features in an expression of both horror and surprise.

It looked so ridiculous she started laughing, slapping Ruby lightly in the shoulder.

"I did _not_ look like that."

"Ok, maybe not _exactly_ like that, but pretty close!"

They both laughed while Ruby reached down to reclaim her backpack.

"Well, I can understand why you'd want to keep a Ruby imprint in your bed," the brunette teased with a grin, deepening her blush as she thought of all of the reasons she would actually want to keep it.

As a reminder that Ruby had been here - in her room, on her bed - was the most obvious one.

And the covers probably smelled like the brunette now -

"So…" she said suddenly, tearing her mind and her eyes away from her bed. "Should we get to work now?"

Ruby laughed at her clear avoidance of the subject, shrugging her shoulders with a 'sure, lead the way.'

Heading back downstairs, she brought Ruby through a maze of hallways before they reached the double doors of the Schnee family library. Pushing both doors inward at once, she smiled when Ruby sucked in a breath in awe.

Like everything else in the house, the library was hugely oversized, with high ceilings and large windows dotting the outside wall. But, unlike most other parts of the house, she actually had a personal say in what went into this room - likely because neither her mother nor father ever set foot in here.

The result was bookcase after bookcase filled with priceless first editions and dime store novels alike. Literary works of art, biographies, journals, encyclopedias...books of poetry, on religion, science fiction...there was a home for anything and everything in here.

"Woahhh...it's so _quiet_," Ruby said in a whisper.

"Yes, but that doesn't mean you have to whisper," she replied in her own whisper, smiling over at the girl.

"Blake would _love_ this," the brunette continued quietly. "Like, really _really_ love this. She could probably live in here!"

"As long as she doesn't bring Yang with her," she replied with a soft giggle.

"Oh, yeah Yang is _horrible_ in libraries. All she does is whisper and distract Blake from reading," Ruby replied in a hushed voice before looking around the room once more. "Ok, where can I sit?"

She smiled at the continued use of whispering and pointed towards the lone table in the room - a large, wooden, rectangular table that was merely an expensive copy of what normal libraries used. Following her direction, Ruby walked towards her destination - tiptoeing quietly across the ground while trying not to make any noise at all.

"Ruby!"

Even though she spoke in a normal volume, she flinched at how loud her voice sounded in the quiet room.

"Ruby, you don't have to be quiet!" she said in a hushed voice while following the girl to the table.

"I can't help it - it's a library!"

Ruby giggled softly while she playfully rolled her eyes.

"Sorry, I'll try not to whisper!" the brunette added, still in nothing above a hush.

Shaking her head, she decided to give up on this particular argument for the time being.

"I'm -"

She sighed and lowered her voice again, much to Ruby's amusement.

"I'm going to read over there - let me know if you need anything."

Nodding her head, Ruby set her bag down and began unpacking items, still as quietly as possible. Trying to give the girl space to work in peace, she picked one of the reading chairs to sit in - albeit one where she was facing Ruby directly.

She watched closely while Ruby settled in - the brunette taking the same seat she used to do her own school work at a years ago.

But before she could even open the book she'd been reading for the past several days, she heard the door to the library open and shut quietly. Turning towards the noise, she relaxed back into the chair when she saw it was only one of the servers carrying a round, silver tray weighed down by two glasses of water and a multitude of dishes filled with various homemade delicacies.

Without saying a word, she directed the server towards the table with nothing more than her eyes. The woman obediently walked over and unloaded the snacks and one glass in front of Ruby - the girl staring at the food with wide eyes. The second glass was set delicately on the small table near Weiss' chair.

"Would you like anything else, Miss?" the server asked in a whisper.

Shaking her head 'no,' the woman disappeared just as quietly as she'd appeared.

Looking across the room to Ruby, she found the girl struggling to hold in her laughter.

"Shut up," she said playfully, unperturbed that Ruby had just been proven right in her inclination to whisper in this room.

Her words made Ruby dissolve into giggles while the brunette turned her attention back down to the pages in front of her - but not before grabbing one of the snacks and popping it into her mouth, letting out a delighted little chirp at the taste.

With silence returning to the room, she tried to read the book held within her hands, but found her eyes drifting over the top of the page every few seconds - watching Ruby while the girl worked. Usually a quick reader, full minutes had gone by before she managed to make it to the bottom of one page - and after turning to the next, she'd already forgotten what she'd just read.

In her defense, Ruby was incredibly distracting. The brunette was tapping a pen against her lip, drumming her fingers silently on the table, running her hand through her hair...all while her left knee refused to stop jittering. It was easy to see why the girl might be behind on her work - she would honestly be surprised if Ruby managed to get any work done at all tonight.

Worst of all, she couldn't tell if this was normal behavior or if something was making Ruby particularly nervous or excitable. It could be the new environment...being in a strange place would certainly not help her, personally, study. Or maybe the girl had eaten a lot of sugar...but that wouldn't be anything new. Maybe Ruby hadn't eaten _enough _sugar?

Or maybe it was...her?

A tiny part of her wanted to believe that Ruby just wanted to talk to her, but was doing all she could to focus on schoolwork instead - the effort escaping the brunette in a variety of squirms and fidgets.

After a short while, Ruby finally broke the silence with a huge sigh, pushing away the paper lying in front of her.

She immediately took that as her cue to say something.

"Doing ok?"

"No…" Ruby replied, voice nearly being categorized as a whine as pleading silver eyes met hers. "History of Vale is just so boringgggg."

The exaggerated suffering was just pretend, she knew that...but it still made her feel horribly for the girl.

Luckily for Ruby, she just so happened to enjoy history quite a bit.

"Is that what you're writing?"

"Editing, yeah," Ruby answered, holding up the paper before letting it fall back to the table in defeat.

"...do you want some help?"

The pleading look instantly disappeared as Ruby's eyes widened, shining with newfound excitement.

"Could you? That would be awesome!"

Getting out of her chair, she discarded her unread book on the small table and walked over to take the seat right beside Ruby. The brunette slid the paper over to her along with a pen - the same pen that had just been in the girl's mouth. She picked it up without hesitation though - although she would _never_ do that with _anyone_ else.

"I can start my other paper while you do that!" Ruby said happily, leaning over to pull some more books from the backpack on the floor.

While Ruby was moving onto the next assignment, she read the first paragraph. Reaching the end, she bit her bottom lip and shot an unnoticed glance to her right. Holding the pen tip right above the paper, she wrote nothing. She read the paragraph again, feeling her brow furrow in anguish.

She couldn't decide what to do.

She didn't want to completely rip apart something Ruby had spent a lot of time working on...but she also didn't want to fail in her task of editing.

Opening her mouth to say something, she closed it without a word.

"You can change whatever you want, you know."

She looked over in surprise to find the brunette grinning at her, having witnessed the latter part of her internal conflict.

"I know it's probably a mess."

"No, it's -" she immediately said, but smiled when Ruby giggled at the lie she'd been about to tell. "Well, it's not _that_ bad - I just think it could be better."

Ruby gestured happily down to the paper.

"Have at it!"

Satisfied with that response, she set about making rapid changes - pen flying over the words as she arranged and rearranged the structure. Ruby laughed again and leaned over, nudging Weiss softly in the shoulder before continuing her own work.

They worked like that for quite some time, with Ruby occasionally leaning over her shoulder to read what she was writing - the girl's warm breath tickling the back of her neck and scattering whatever sentence she'd been working on in that instant.

From this distance, Ruby's bouncing knee seemed to be moving at twice the normal speed. At one point, she'd rested her hand on the girl's leg in an effort to keep it from moving - only to succeed in making the other one start hopping up and down.

Regardless, she loved keeping Ruby company...or was Ruby keeping her company? Either way, even when they weren't talking, she felt comfortable and at peace.

Just being in the same space together was so simple...so easy...they could easily be two normal college students studying at one of Vale U.'s libraries - not a college student and an heiress to a massive fortune.

It was the most enjoyable night she'd had in her own home in quite some time.

Unfortunately, the night had to end at some point. That time came several hours later, after she had put the finishing touches on the history of Vale paper and Ruby had made solid progress on the political factions paper she'd just begun.

When the brunette let out a big yawn, she couldn't prevent herself from yawning in return. Ruby promptly threw her pen down on the table and leaned back in her chair, stretching her arms high above her head - high enough for the girl's hoodie to tug the underlying shirt up and expose her bare midriff.

Turning away, face ablaze, she stared down at the paper she'd just finished for a few seconds before sliding it over to Ruby.

"I made...a few suggestions."

Ruby laughed while picking up the paper, but didn't comment on the pages nearly covered with edits - the margins eaten up by her small, neat handwriting.

"Thank you so much, Weiss! You're the absolute best," the brunette said instead as she slipped the paper back into her bag along with her other items. Zipping up the pack, the brunette slumped down in her seat.

"Ugh...I should probably have Yang come get me now, huh."

"You don't have to. I can have someone take you -"

She had to pause her words in order to hide another yawn behind her hand, which made Ruby giggle.

"Is it past someone's bedtime?" Ruby teased, poking her gently in the side.

She grinned as she squirmed away from the girl's tickling fingertips.

It _was_ later than she usually stayed awake, that was for sure. But she didn't want to close her eyes and have the night be over - with Ruby gone once again. It would be worth being a little tired in the morning.

"Let me have someone take you home," she insisted, standing from the table while Ruby did the same. "Please? It will make me feel better."

"Okkkk...But only because I don't want to hear her to say anything else about 'doing it' in your house."

The brunette gave an exaggerated shudder, making her laugh while she led Ruby back towards the front door. Once they'd arrived in the entryway, she used the phone placed near one wall to request a driver right away - there was at least one driver somewhere on the property at all times, so they wouldn't need to wait very long.

"Thanks for inviting me over tonight," Ruby said, capturing her attention once more. "That was the most fun I've had doing homework in...well, ever."

"Thank you for coming over," she replied easily, silently wondering just how long this Ruby fix would last her this time. Their get-togethers seemed to be providing less and less of a sieve for her to survive on...which was alarming and painful at the same time.

"You know, maybe we should -"

Her voice failed her when her mother walked out of the room right beside where they were standing - the woman's icy blue eyes locking onto Ruby immediately.

"Weiss, I didn't know you had company," her mother said, taking one long look at Ruby before turning away from the brunette, nose wrinkling ever so slightly in distaste.

"Y-yes, this is Ruby. Ruby, this is my mother…" she quickly said, watching anxiously as Ruby stuck out her hand in greeting.

"It's really nice to meet you!" the brunette said cheerfully, thankfully blind to the displeasure in the woman's demeanor as they shook hands.

"Likewise…" her mother replied coldly before turning to walk up the stairs to the second level. "And Weiss, please control those stutters of yours."

Her face heated up in both humiliation and anger, grinding her molars together while trying to maintain her composure.

What kind of horrible luck did she have, that her mother would be awake at this hour? This must be one of the nights her father was 'staying late at the office'...those were the only times the woman would pace restlessly around the house for hours on end…but to scold her in front of company...

A soft hand wrapped tenderly around her own, tugging her mind back out of the dark cloud it was drifting under.

When she turned, Ruby was giving her a timid smile, eyes apologizing for what had just happened even though it hadn't been the girl's fault.

"I don't think you stutter…" Ruby whispered. "Not anymore than a normal person, at least."

Without warning, she felt a smile reappear - once again comforted by Ruby's steadfast acceptance of her as a 'normal' person...stutters and all. Her 'flaws' could be pointed out right in front of the girl's face, and Ruby never flinched.

Somehow, Ruby liked her regardless of all that.

Lost in her own thoughts, she was surprised when Ruby suddenly blushed. It was only then that she realized they were still holding hands.

Or, more like, she was now grasping the girl's hand firmly - absorbing some of Ruby's strength as her own.

Quickly separating their fingers, she clasped her hands tightly in front of her, silently cursing them for having acted on their own free will.

"H-hey, your ride is probably out front by now," she said, fingers still tingling as her skin mourned the absence of Ruby's warm hand.

The girl giggled as they walked over to the front door.

"I change my answer," the brunette said as Weiss opened the door for her. "I love it when you stutter."

Ruby then wrapped her in a completely unexpected hug, squeezing tightly before releasing her with a short giggle and adorable little wave before racing down the front steps.

If it was cold outside, she certainly couldn't feel it while watching Ruby leap into the waiting vehicle, leaving the scent of roses hanging in the air surrounding her.

Only after she'd closed the front door did she realized Ruby had just run outside without her jacket, which was still hanging safely in the coat closet. Shaking her head at the girl's propensity to run out into the cold without adequate clothing, she collected the jacket herself - not wanting anyone to mistakenly (or purposefully) get rid it.

It was with a smile that she made her way back up to her room while holding the treasured item, already reminiscing on the night they'd shared together.

It was only when she'd stepped into her room and saw the covers on her bed that she felt the weight of longing settle back upon her heart. It was the same feeling that had driven her to invite Ruby here, to begin with.

How long had they been apart this time - a minute? Even less?

How was it possible that she already missed her?


	13. Chapter 13

**Lots of important stuff in this chapter! Read closely :)**

* * *

The next morning began a little later than usual - the unfortunate consequence of staying up too late the night before. Thankfully, by some form of divine intervention, she'd been miraculously afforded the luxury of sleeping in, rather than waking at her usual time.

And she woke up in a superb mood, still on a high after having Ruby over the night before. A testament to her good mood was that she caught herself humming happily while making the bed this morning - the very bed Ruby had jumped onto last night.

The sense of longing was still there - firmly set in place around her heart - but she was at least able to maneuver around it, to be happy in what had already occurred and look forward to what was (eventually) to come. If she was just a little bit patient, she would get to see Ruby again.

An added bonus, she was extremely pleased with the changes she'd made to Ruby's paper last night. She couldn't wait to learn what grade the girl received, because it should definitely be an 'A.' If it _wasn't _an 'A,' she might need to find out the name of the professor teaching that course...

After making her bed, she prepared herself for the day as usual - taking a shower, brushing her hair, picking out a nice and hopefully somewhat comfortable outfit…a lot of effort expended for a day during which she had no plans.

But such was her life.

She could probably pick up the book she'd attempted to read last night and see if it was _actually_ too dull to follow or if Ruby's presence had just been that much more enthralling.

As she made her way downstairs to the kitchen to request something for breakfast, the front door opened and her father came striding purposefully inside. From his appearance, he must not have come home at all last night - still dressed in yesterday's suit and in dire need of a shave.

But, clean shaven or not, his no-nonsense demeanor said he meant business this morning.

In general, her father had two modes. There was 'father' mode, where he treated her like a child - offering to buy her ponies or expensive dolls from Atlas. And there was 'business' mode, where he treated her as nothing more than a chess piece - with the coldhearted calculation of a businessman making decisions based on dollars instead of feelings.

Honestly, she didn't like either version of the man very much, but business mode was always a little more difficult to weather.

"Weiss, I need you to have lunch with our newly elected _mayor_. I promised his office a meeting with a Schnee, didn't promise which one."

He didn't so much as pause his actions while issuing the order, taking off his coat by the front door and throwing it to the butler who had miraculously appeared to catch it before it hit the ground.

Her initial reaction was to ask why - why was she the one being sent to lunch with one of Vale's most powerful officials?

Thankfully, she'd learned to prevent such knee-jerk questions slipping from her mouth. If she put more thought into it, she already knew exactly the reasons why.

The most recent election had been highly contentious and the outcome widely debated by all of Vale. Most importantly, the victor had committed an incredibly large breach of etiquette by not contacting her father directly on the night of the announcement.

The newly elected mayor _always_ called the head of the Schnee family to thank them for their support, whether or not they'd actually received it. By not calling, the new mayor had suggested that he didn't _need_ or _want_ their support.

Blood had run in the water that night...but now her father was flexing his political might in return.

Sending his daughter to a lunch appointment would be a slap in the face - a clear message that the new government would now need to work doubly hard to earn her family's allegiance.

She knew much, much better than to argue with this posturing nonsense. In this house, her father's word was law. Not even her mother would dare question his decisions.

"When?"

"Tomorrow. Jezebel will email you everything."

With that, he brushed past her on the way to his own bedroom, their 'business' clearly done. There was no 'good morning' or 'how are you doing?' or 'any plans today?' anywhere to be found.

It was times like these when she realized just how much her life was not her own. How the resemblance of freedom and independence was nothing more than a mirage - a fantasy that could be taken away from her without a moment's notice.

It was the life she'd been forced to accept long ago.

Turning her eyes away from the wall she'd been staring at blankly for the last few moments, she made her way to the library instead - deciding to forgo food for the time being in an effort to feel whatever trace of Ruby there might still be in that room.

The mayor was certainly in for a shock tomorrow when she arrived in her father's place. The man probably wanted to discuss some sort of business, which was the last thing she could do.

Ultimately, she held no power in the matters of their family's business operations. It wasn't that she was incapable...she was quite positive that she could navigate those waters if given the opportunity. But she wasn't the one chosen to lead the company after her father - the responsibility to lead had always been placed solely upon the men in the family.

This was just another reason why her marriage to Cardin was so important. Right now, their family effectively had no heir to the corporation - the behemoth money printing machine many men would kill each other for the opportunity to run. With no male child, there was no clear successor if she didn't marry.

Ringing startled her just as she walked through the library doors - the loud sound shattering the silence in the giant, still room. Glancing at the screen, she instantly grew concerned when she saw the name displayed there.

Why was Ruby calling her so early on a weekday?

"Hello? Ruby?"

It was hard to keep the worry out of her voice as she stood just inside the library door, brow furrowed as her mind raced with possible grounds for the call.

"Hey Weiss! How're you doing?"

The voice was cheerful and much more awake than she would have expected, but still didn't answer the question of why she'd received a phone call instead of their customary 'good morning' text message.

"Fine...are you ok?" she pressed.

"Yeah, why? I don't sound ok?"

"No, I just…I was just curious."

She flushed when Ruby laughed, understanding now that the girl had called just to talk to her - no emergency or hidden agenda attached. And, for whatever reason, that realization filled her stomach with inexplicable butterflies.

"My bed is soooo uncomfortable compared to yours!" the girl whined, the image of a cute, pouting face immediately appearing in Weiss' head.

"Well, you're welcome to mine anytime."

The words had already left her mouth before she realized how they sounded - her brain having been far too occupied picturing Ruby pouting to register the comment as anything other than a friendly offer.

"I-I mean, you can stay there and I'll - I'll stay in one of the guest rooms," she quickly tried to cover up, her cheeks growing warmer and warmer in mortification.

But Ruby was already laughing giddily at the offer.

"Sounds like you just invited me into your bed, Weiss!" the brunette managed to spit out between giggles.

It was extremely fortunate they were on the phone right now, otherwise Ruby might have seen her face the darkest shade of red it had _ever_ been.

"I, um…"

She coughed, not knowing what she could possibly say to make this any better. Then she remembered the reason why Ruby never called her this early.

"Wait, weren't you supposed to be in class this morning?"

The retort immediately cut off the girl's laughter.

"Well…you see..."

"Ruby Rose. You know you shouldn't be skipping classes."

She somehow managed to keep her voice stern while she was smiling - picturing the brunette squirming under the sudden scolding.

"But I finished so much work yesterday that I just didn't feel like it! And everyone skips _sometimes -_ it's not a big deal!"

"It will be a big deal when your sister stuffs you in a trash can again."

Ruby burst out laughing, with Weiss quickly following suit when she could no longer channel a serious attitude.

"God, I can't believe she told you that…"

"I'm so glad she did," she replied with a smile, recalling how happily Yang had recounted that little tale.

Their conversation lapsed into a couple seconds of comfortable silence - both of them likely grinning like idiots into their phones.

"Anywayyyy...I was wonderinggg if you wanted to get dinner with me tonight," Ruby continued after not too long. "There's this greasy looking taco place with this like, really big, swanky bear statue out front. I've been wanting to try it _forever_, but Yang keeps saying there's 'only one thing in the world worth getting that sick eating.' Whatever that means…"

There was so much to process in the few sentences Ruby had just flung her way - so many questions to ask...and to avoid...she decided to focus first on the most relevant.

"Swanky bear? Like...a teddy bear or a real bear?"

"A teddy bear!"

"I think we have different definitions of 'swanky'..."

Ruby dissolved into more laughter at that comment.

"But a _real_ bear would be swanky?"

"Real bears are _very_ swanky," she replied straight faced, grinning when Ruby laughed even harder.

"Ok, ok, so it's just a regular, not swanky, bear statue," the brunette finally said after collecting herself. "But will you go with me? Pleaseee?"

Greasy taco place with a big, swanky bear statue - which was likely the birthplace of food poisoning - was a horrible way to sell a restaurant.

But...greasy taco place, swanky bear statue, food poisoning, _and_ a certain bubbly brunette...

"Sure, I'll go," she replied, allowing Ruby to let out her loud cheer before continuing. "_But_, if it looks too sketchy, I'm not eating anything."

"Fair enough!" Ruby instantly agreed. "Want to meet me here around six?"

"Absolutely."

"Yes! You totally won't regret it, Weiss! I'll see you then!"

"I certainly hope not...see you soon."

After hanging up the phone, she stared at the device for several seconds with a small smile, wondering exactly what she'd gotten herself into this time.

Dinner wasn't that far off...ok, it was practically an entire day away...but she would get to see Ruby again. Which was _never_ a bad thing as far as she was concerned.

Looking around the library, it took her a second to remember what she'd even come here for. It was only when she spotted the discarded book lying upon the table that she remembered her quest. Quickly collecting the item, she made her way out of the room.

Book in hand, she decided that now she would be able to eat something - her mood greatly lifted by her evening plans with Ruby.

Humming quietly to herself, she took the back way to the kitchen - the path winding through the dining room. Depositing the book on the table to read during her meal, she made her way towards the opposite doorway to find one of the kitchen staff.

And, as misfortune would have it, her mother walked through that very door as she walked towards it.

Sight of the woman instantly halted the happy tune she'd been humming as she ducked her head in deference.

"Good morning," she said, forcing her voice out clear and crisp so as not to be scolded.

Receiving nothing more than a curt nod in response, she continued walking while the woman took her usual seat at the dining room table, sipping at the steaming cup of coffee held in her hands.

It didn't look as though her mother had gotten very much sleep last night, but that was of little concern to her. In fact, she wouldn't have cared one bit if the woman hadn't slept a wink - that's how upset she was by how dismissive her mother had been to Ruby last night.

Maybe Ruby's childish and carefree nature couldn't win over someone so solely focused on appearances, but the girl had been a _guest_ in their home. There had been absolutely no reason to be rude.

"Weiss."

She froze at her name, forcing a smile onto her lips before slowly turning around.

"We'll be having dinner early tonight in order to accommodate your father's...business meeting."

"Oh, I actually just made plans for dinner," she replied, breathing a sigh of relief that she'd be missing another tense meal between her parents. "Please eat without me."

Resuming her walk towards the kitchen doors, she quickly decided that breakfast was just not in the cards today. But, right before she was free and clear, her mother spoke up again.

"Hopefully not with that girl I met last night."

She should have kept walking. She should have _run_ through the doors to the kitchen.

And if the comment had been directed at anyone else, she might have.

But she made the ultimate mistake instead - turning back towards the woman to engage.

"What's wrong with Ruby?"

She watched as her mother traced one perfectly manicured finger along the rim of her coffee mug, appearing deep in thought about the forthcoming answer.

"Well, she seems to be a very...quaint...girl. But way beneath you."

"Why? Because she doesn't come from money?"

"Please...she's going to Vale University? She can't even _pretend_ to have money," her mother replied scathingly. "She's more fit to be one of the _help_ than your acquaintance."

The woman could have said the same thing about anyone else...literally anyone else in the world, and she couldn't have cared less. But her mother chose _Ruby_. Of all people, _Ruby_.

Maybe it was still residual anger from how impolite her mother had been last night, maybe it was resentment that the _one_ person she actually _enjoyed_ spending time with would be belittled in this way…

"Who cares if she doesn't have money? She's a better person than anyone else I know," she shot back, her blood beginning to boil.

"Yes, because being a _good person_ will be so useful…"

"It will be!"

The woman rolled her eyes, turning back to her coffee as if Weiss had suddenly become uninteresting.

"What would you know - you're still a child."

She bristled at the insult, feeling even more animosity swell in her chest towards the person sitting in front of her.

"In case you haven't noticed, _mother_, I'm more grown up than you give me credit for!" she said forcefully, voice a few levels louder than usual.

The tone brought the woman angrily to her feet, sending the chair scraping backwards across the floor in her hurry.

"You watch your tone when you're speaking to me!" her mother yelled directly in her face, shoving one pointed finger into her chest before turning away to mumble, "You've always been such an ungrateful child..."

"Yeah, well, sorry I'm not a suck up like Winter."

The instant the words left her mouth, she knew they were a mistake.

And the resounding slap that hit her face a second later confirmed that for her, forcing her face towards the ground while nearly throwing her off balance.

She didn't dare raise a hand to touch her throbbing cheek, which was growing progressively hotter by the second. She refused to give her mother the small satisfaction that she'd succeeded in hurting her. Even though her eyes stubbornly filled with moisture, she stared back at the woman with the least amount of emotion possible.

"How _dare_ you speak of your sister like that," her mother hissed at her, the woman's own cold, blue eyes beginning to dampen with tear filled rage. "She was _twice_ the Schnee you could ever hope to be."

With a small sniff, her mother straightened, tilting her head up while glancing down at Weiss in pure disdain.

"I wish that she was still here instead of you."

With that, the woman stalked out of the room, leaving her frozen to the dining room floor, breath coming in ragged gasps while her heart beat loudly in her ears. The second she was alone her eyes filled with tears, immediately streaming down her cheeks while she struggled to pull herself back together.

She'd always known her mother felt that way…she could see it in the looks the woman sometimes gave her...but somehow, _knowing_ it was true and hearing it spoken aloud were two different things entirely.

But why did it hurt so much?

She would be the first to admit that she hardly even liked the woman masquerading as her maternal figure. But...that didn't change the fact that that person was...well, her mom.

Crouching towards the floor, she buried her face in the palms of her hands, taking care not to touch her still throbbing cheek.

Why did it feel like her heart had been torn from her chest? She'd sworn to herself that she'd never let the woman's words hurt her...that she'd never allow anything through the barrier she'd set up around her heart...

Winter…

Winter had fit the role of heiress perfectly - spoiled, pretentious, egotistical, holier than thou…the girl had wanted nothing more than to grow up to be just like their mother. Her older sister had picked on her relentlessly when they were little...and things had only grown worse when Winter fell ill.

But, for as awful as Winter had been, that didn't make her any less Weiss' sister...and she'd been heir apparent to the 'throne' that was the Schnee name. If Winter hadn't passed away...the task of carrying on the family name would have been bestowed on her instead of Weiss.

Winter would be marrying Cardin instead of her.

There had always been this mysterious path floating in the back of her mind - the one that had been closed to her the day Winter had died. It was the path of infinite possibilities - where her parents might not care what she did with her life, where they might not care who she married...

Ruby…she needed to see Ruby, right now.

Standing, she practically ran to the front door - grabbing the first coat her hand touched in the hall closet before careening outside, instantly greeted by an inhospitable breath of frozen air. Paying it no mind, she was down the front steps in a flash.

She had half a mind to walk to Ruby's in this cold. And she would have done just that if James hadn't jogged out of the house behind her and opened a car door for her before she could even walk past it.

"Please take me to Ruby's," she whispered, shielding her face from his gaze in order to hide the tears still steadily flowing.

Inside the car, she immediately pulled out her phone and dialed the one number she knew by heart - the one person who could make her feel better at a time like this.

"Hey Weiss!"

Hearing the girl's voice allowed her to take a deep breath, preventing her voice from shaking so as not to alarm the brunette.

"H-hey Ruby...is it ok if I come over?"

"Absolutely! Mi casa est tu casa! Or...something like that...man, I stink with foreign languages!"

Her lips curled into a tiny smile while Ruby laughed at her own expense.

"Anyway, when will you be here?"

"In just a few minutes - already in the car," she answered, praying that that would still be ok. It wasn't usually good manners to drop by on such short notice.

"Perfect! Oh - I should probably clean, huh?" the girl asked instead. She could imagine Ruby looking around the apartment at what were likely piles of clothing or dishes scattered about.

"No," she quickly replied, not wanting Ruby to go through any additional hassle just for her sake. "You don't need to clean anything. I just...want to hang out."

She just needed Ruby to be there.


	14. Chapter 14

**This marks just about the halfway point of this story. Much more to come!**

* * *

The car had barely come to a stop before she jumped outside and raced through the front entrance of the small, brick apartment building. Once inside the lobby, she tapped the button to summon an elevator, shifting impatiently back and forth while waiting for one to arrive on the ground floor.

Her tears had dried on the way here, leaving her with an insufferable void - a chasm in her chest. There were waves of raw emotions threatening to overtake her - currently being held at bay, but the levees she'd built were straining under the relentless pressure.

She wanted to see Ruby...she _needed_ to see her...

Just when she'd decided she'd rather take four flights of stairs than wait another second, a soft ding announced the elevator's arrival. Stepping quickly inside, she jabbed the button for the fifth floor and held the 'door close' button while the doors slid slowly shut.

If it were possible to feel someone's presence, she would swear that she could feel Ruby's right now. Her skin was tingling in anticipation - she just needed to make it up four more floors.

Four long...torturous...floors...

As soon as she could slip between the opening elevator doors, she was in the hallway with feet walking quickly towards Ruby's apartment - on the very edge of a run, but running indoors wasn't appropriate. Finally reaching the door, she lifted one hand to knock three times announcing her arrival.

Her lungs strained with anticipation while waiting for the door to open...knowing that Ruby would provide the air she so desperately needed to let all of this go...

And suddenly, there she was.

The brunette swung open the door with a big grin - the type that seemed to be reserved only for her and desserts.

"Long time no - wait, Weiss, what's wrong?"

Ruby's grin fell into a frown...the girl instantly recognizing that something wasn't right. And that was all it took for giant cracks to appear in her walls, more emotions struggling to push through - threatening to tear down everything, to wash her away.

Turning her gaze to the floor, she tried to hide her tear stained face and red rimmed eyes from the brunette's concerned silver orbs. It would have been polite for her to ask permission to step into the apartment, but Ruby was already pulling her in by the hand while she fought to contain her tears.

"A-are Yang and Blake here?" she managed to ask quietly as Ruby closed the door, trying to disguise a sniff with the back of her hand.

She really didn't want the other two girls to witness her in this emotional state...she didn't want _anyone_ else to see her like this. There was only one person in the world she trusted enough to show this side to - one person who wouldn't care that she wasn't the perfect, unfeeling socialite she was supposed to be.

The one person who cared more about her than about her last name.

"They took Zwei for a walk...Weiss, are you ok?"

It wasn't necessary for her to look up to know that Ruby's eyes were filling with increasing amounts of concern - distress already seeping into the girl's voice.

All she could manage was a small shake of her head in response, voice threatening to betray her if she attempted to speak again.

But Ruby seemed to understand - gently taking her by the elbow and leading them over to the sofa to sit down. The girl took a seat right beside her, close enough that their knees were touching while Ruby sat sideways facing her.

Even though Ruby must have been horribly worried and curious, she made no attempt to pry. The girl simply...allowed her to be...giving her the space and time to figure out what to say, where even to begin.

The brunette waited, in silence, rubbing one hand softly up and down her back - the motion comforting and soothing at the same time.

Patiently...far more patiently than she'd suspected the girl could even be capable of. No words needed to be spoken for her to know, deep in her heart, that Ruby would stay like this for as long as she needed her. Be it hours, days, weeks...Ruby would be there.

"M-my...m-mother…" she finally tried to say, but the words immediately conjured an image of the woman's face - making her dissolve into tears as she relived the moment, hearing the words echo in her mind.

Her mother wished she weren't alive...that she'd been the one to die instead of Winter…

Her mother wished she was dead.

The thought shattered her walls - the barriers she'd spent years constructing proving to be painfully delicate right when she needed them most. But she was safe here, in Ruby's company...there was no one to take advantage of her vulnerability if she let it show...no one to scold her for her weakness...

"Shh…shhh…" Ruby whispered as she cried, hand never faltering in its steady track up and down her back, leaving behind a trail of warmth and strength she immediately soaked into her skin. "It's ok...you don't have to talk about it…"

But she _wanted _to tell Ruby everything...she wanted to tell the girl _every single thing_...about her family, about the life she was forced to lead, about the burning desire to be anyone but herself.

And she would have, if she'd been able to say anything at all. She would have laid out before the girl more information than anyone could possibly handle at one moment. No matter how secret, how confidential, how intimate...she would have placed the knowledge at Ruby's feet right then - knowing that the brunette would never balk or back away from it, knowing that the warm hand would never falter in its course.

But she couldn't get out anything more than tears, staring down at her shaking hands while Ruby comforted her - unceasingly there for her, never demanding a reason or an explanation. Just...there.

It was hardly fair...that someone like Ruby's mother who, from the stories she'd been told, had adored her children immensely, had been taken away too soon. It wasn't fair that Ruby and Yang had been forced to grow up without the mother who loved them, while her own mother was allowed to choose whether or not to love her.

If only her own mother had room for more than one child in her heart.

Feeling more tears well up, she hid her face in her hands, only to jerk her head away the instant her swollen cheek touched her palm. Her cheek was still stinging, the force from her mother's blow leaving an imprint that would at least last for the rest of the day.

Her flinch must have caught the brunette's attention, as a lithe finger curled gently around her chin a second later. She allowed the delicate touch to turn her head, directing her gaze towards Ruby.

Silver orbs fixated keenly upon her - powerful and unwavering. The gaze was enslaving, refusing her instinct to turn away...to hide her pain, to bury her suffering.

"Did she do this to you?"

The question was low...angry. Emotions swirled in the brunette's eyes while she watched, quickly morphing from a calming, molten sea of metal to something more akin to darkened storm clouds brewing on the horizon. It was unlike anything she'd ever seen from the girl before - a depth of expression that went far beyond carefree or lighthearted.

Without disturbing Ruby's finger resting underneath her chin, she tilted her head a fraction of an inch downward, the minuscule gesture more than enough of an answer.

Ruby opened her mouth to say something, but closed it a second later with a sullen shake of her head. Taking in a deep breath, the brunette dropped her hand and stood from the sofa.

"I'll go get you some ice…" the girl muttered on her way towards the kitchen, hands balled into tight fists as she walked away.

Returning her gaze to her trembling hands in Ruby's absence, she sniffed several times while struggling to regain control over her rampant emotions. Everything needed to be pushed down, bottled up, so that she could continue to be - so that she could continue to function normally.

Slowly, but surely, it seemed to be working, her breathing slowing while more of her senses returned to her. It was only then that she realized how stifling hot it had become while still wearing her winter jacket inside the heated apartment. Shrugging off the offending item, she folded it meticulously and carefully laid it across the far armrest of the sofa - the mindless activity stilling her nerves in its familiarity.

A few minutes later, she watched Ruby return to the seat beside her, gently pressing a bag of ice wrapped in a dish towel into her still trembling hands.

Accepting the items with a soft 'thank you,' she delicately pressed the cold material to her cheek. The coolness provided some instant relief from the stinging, but didn't feel nearly as soothing as the sensation of Ruby wrapping her free hand within her own - the girl's hands slightly cold from retrieving the ice.

They sat there for quite some time, without saying a word, until she finally lowered the ice to her lap - cheek nearly numb. Her breathing was returning to normal, her sniffles coming less often, and her eyes drying up, but she was still holding onto Ruby's hand like a lifeline...having no desire to find out what would happen if they were to be separated at this moment.

"Do you want to talk about it?"

The question was a whisper...nothing more than an offer...a message that Ruby was still there and willing to listen to her pain.

"I...uh...want to, b-but…"

Sniffling again, she cut off her words when she felt more tears sting at the corner of her eyes. She shook her head, disappointed that she'd allowed her mother to harm her so thoroughly.

Ruby did drop her hand then, but it was only to pull her into a hug - the girl holding her so tightly, it felt like nothing else in the world would ever break through. She felt the brunette rest a chin upon her shoulder, and reciprocated in kind - burying her unshed tears in Ruby's neck, squeezing the girl as firmly as she could.

There was comfort to be found in Ruby's arms...in the girl's warmth...in the way one soft hand threaded carefully through her hair while she was allowed to relinquish whatever tears were remaining.

Pressed so closely together, she could feel Ruby's heartbeat...calm and steady as it beat beside her wildly erratic pulse. But she could feel herself calming down as her heart sought to match Ruby's rhythm - to beat in tune with the unwavering pace. As their two hearts synchronized as one, her breathing leveled out, her trembling ceased, and her tears faded away.

Still, the two of them remained in that position.

She didn't want to move...she didn't want to lift her head from Ruby's shoulder...she didn't want Ruby's fingers to stop picking their way carefully through her hair.

Even though she felt raw and exhausted, she felt herself relax, just a fraction.

She was being protected - nothing could possibly get to her here. Ruby's embrace acted as a shield, preventing any attack from coming even close to her tender heart.

If they could be frozen into statues, she would be happy to spend eternity just like this.

When Ruby began to pull away after a few minutes, her arms unconsciously tightened and refused to allow the brunette more than a couple inches backward.

"Any better?" the girl breathed quietly, the word traveling the short distance between them as a wave of warm air.

Nodding, she closed her eyes and rested her forehead against Ruby's, focusing on keeping her breathing to a slow, even pace as emotional exhaustion fully caught up to her.

Finally opening her eyes, she lifted her head and gave Ruby a tepid smile. The girl immediately returned it, reaching up one hand and softly tucking a runaway strand of white hair behind her ear - a gesture that, even in its simplicity, was both intimate and caring.

She could get lost in those loving, silver eyes...the ones that seemed to have been made just for her.

The ones she'd somehow earned without spending a dime - being herself was enough, when being herself was never enough.

Stripped of her defenses, she could feel it clearly now...the spark she'd been denying acknowledgement all this time - a tiny flicker buried deep within her heart.

Her breathing became hitched as her eyes flitted rapidly back and forth between Ruby's silver orbs. The brunette had one hand frozen behind her ear, arm suspended in midair while silver eyes searched her own for an answer to some unspoken question.

The answer could have come from one of them, or both of them - she couldn't be certain.

But the next moment her eyes were sliding shut as Ruby leaned towards her - her own posture moving to meet the girl halfway as their lips touched hesitantly together in a kiss.

The soft touch sent a current of energy through her veins, turning that tiny spark into a roaring fire in less than an instant.

She pressed closer, not wanting to lose the contact between them as the kiss deepened, both of them growing bolder and bolder as time ticked forward. Ruby's hand was now running through her hair, gently tugging her closer, as if the brunette also needed to be nearer - as if their locked lips weren't nearly enough to feed their desire.

Her hands were trembling again, this time from the energy tingling beneath the surface of her skin. Timidly, she reached up one hand and placed it on Ruby's shoulder, but slid it behind the girl's neck and gripped tightly when she felt another light tug on her hair.

Feeling a warm, wet tongue run across her lips, she opened her lips to grant Ruby access - their tongues immediately clashing together as they fought, struggled, to become one with each other. She reminded herself to breathe, becoming so caught up in their fervor she could feel her lungs steadily depleting of air.

She could feel herself being fueled by a passion she'd never felt before as they progressed steadily further, Ruby responding in the same. They were both breathing heavily now, soft pants echoing through the air in the small room, but that didn't stop them from continuing. Ruby slowly pressed her backward until her back was in the sofa - the brunette lying lightly on top of her while they continued to feed their ravenous hunger, lips refusing to part for more than a second.

Both of her hands were in Ruby's hair now, releasing pent up energy as they ran through short, soft strands of brunette hair - tugging and pulling gently while she curled and uncurled her fingers.

Ruby's hand ran down her side before reaching the hem of her shirt, causing her to let out a soft gasp of air when she felt cold fingertips venture hesitantly underneath. She tugged Ruby closer, releasing a small moan into the girl's mouth that gave her permission to continue - a soft hand sliding across her bare stomach a second later.

Her mind was spinning, overcome with sensations intensely powerful and extremely overwhelming. She was losing her sense of self - it was becoming more and more impossible for her to think of anything other than Ruby…

Nothing else existed, but Ruby.

There was nothing else she wanted in this world, but Ru-

The sound of keys jingling in the front lock instantly snapped her back to attention. Ruby reacted at the same time, jumping backwards on the sofa as she sat quickly up - just as the front door could be heard swinging open, marking Yang and Blake's return from their walk.

"Hey Ruby, we brought you - oh, hey Weiss!"

"Hello Yang," she responded without looking up, too busy staring down at her hands while her heart raced and her mind reeled. Her breathing was coming in jagged breaths as her body attempted to recoup some of the oxygen lost over the past few moments. Running one hand quickly across her lips, she wiped away the moisture remaining there, noticing Ruby do the same. Reaching down, she tugged at the hem of her shirt, pulling it back into place.

A second later, she heard the sound of a leash unclipping before tiny paws clicked across the floor, Zwei running off for a drink from his water bowl.

"We brought some ice cream back - maybe Ruby will share?"

She felt Ruby look at her, but couldn't return the gaze as her face flushed deeper by the second.

Instead, she stood up abruptly, still refusing the make direct eye contact with anyone else in the apartment.

"I...actually I need to get going…sorry, Ruby, I don't think I can make dinner but...thank you."

With those words, she rushed past a confused Blake and Yang, through the open front door and into the hallway. This time she really did take the staircase, not wanting to risk Ruby running after her while she was stuck waiting for the elevator.

Four flights of stairs did little to calm her heavy breathing - leaving her nearly out of breath as she ran through the lobby several minutes later. It was only when she'd shoved the door open and stumbled outside into the cold winter air that she realized she'd been the one to forget her coat this time - the necessary outerwear still neatly folded on the arm of the sofa upstairs.

Thankfully, James had waited for her even though she'd given him no instruction to do so. She practically dove into the vehicle, telling the man to take her home before hiding her face in her hands in the backseat.

There was no metric in the world that could accurately measure just how rapidly her heart was pounding at this moment - the sound drumming loudly in her ears while her hands recommenced their shaking.

She touched one shaking finger lightly to her lips, tracing them slowly while her mind raced in a million separate directions at once.

What had just happened?

What the hell had she just done?


	15. Chapter 15

**In my free time, I wrote a guide to get you guys to review the story - wanna read it?**

**Step one - Write 13 chapters without a kiss**

**Step two - Finally write a kiss**

**Voila! Instant reviews - all in capital letters too! **

**onhonhon (French laugh, for you people :P) I kid, I kid. Enjoy this chapter!**

* * *

What had she done?

She and Ruby had…

She'd…

She'd done something so inconceivable...so unfathomable...her mind could hardly begin to analyze or quantify it. There'd been no other option but to sit in stunned silence on the ride back to her home, running one finger lightly across her bottom lip while her face refused to lose its deep flush.

When the vehicle had pulled to a stop in front of the towering mansion, she'd made a hasty beeline to her room and shut the door - even going so far as to lock it to keep anyone else out. Once inside, she'd paced for hours trying to calm her thoughts, to slow her rapidly beating heart - all to no avail.

They'd...they'd _kissed_. She'd _kissed_ Ruby.

And not just a friendly peck on the cheek friends sometimes gave one another. It had been intense...feverish...uncontrollable…

As soon as their lips had touched, there'd been an unstoppable release of feelings pouring from her heart towards the girl. Feelings that had been buried deep within her heart - so well hidden that she'd never been forced to acknowledge their existence until this very moment.

She'd _kissed_ Ruby.

...Ruby had kissed her back.

There was something about that second thought that made her heart burst into thousands of butterflies - an entire kaleidoscope of the creatures fluttering excitedly around in her chest.

Ruby had kissed her.

It was only when the sky had grown dark outside her bedroom windows and the rest of the world had grown quiet that she'd laid down and attempted to fall asleep. But as soon as her eyes closed, she reopened them - the memory of the kiss excruciatingly vivid with her eyes shut. It was as if a film of the moment was stuck on repeat, playing over and over inside her mind and refusing to be stopped.

So...she'd stayed awake for as long as possible, attempting to keep her eyes open while finding any means necessary to distract herself - rearranging the room, organizing her shoes alphabetically by color, reading mindless articles on the internet...

Exhaustion eventually caught up to her - luring her into a restless sleep filled with dreams starring a certain beautiful brunette.

The next morning when she awoke, her head was still swimming.

Her breath caught in her throat every time her mind drifted back to the moment they'd shared...which was _all_ the time.

The sensation just wouldn't fade away.

Even one night of horrible sleep could do nothing to wash away the feeling of Ruby pressed against her. Her skin still burned where Ruby's hands had been...where the girl's lips had been. She could still taste the sugar that had been on Ruby's tongue...the brunette having probably eaten something sweet right before she'd rushed over.

Her own body ached with desire...an ill fated thirst to relive that brief moment in time over and over again, to stretch it out even longer.

The repercussions had yet to play themselves out, but she was already willing to do it again - to fall down that well one more time.

Cursing herself for her stupidity yet again, she resumed wearing a track into the floor in front of her bed, determined not to leave her only sanctuary until she absolutely must.

Why - _why_ had she kissed Ruby? What good could she have possibly imagined would come out of such a decision? Not that she'd really been thinking at the moment...it was more like her body finally acting out what it wanted.

But why did she want to do it again?

Why did she want _so badly_ to do it again?

Shaking her head, she dropped her hand from her hair - from the very spot Ruby's fingers had been curled the day before.

There were far bigger things to worry about right now - the greatest of which being her suddenly silent phone. This was the first time in weeks she hadn't received a text from Ruby as soon as the girl woke up.

It was possible, but unlikely, that Ruby was still sleeping, but the brunette was usually up by now…

The silence from the other end of the line was increasingly alarming.

And she just...she didn't know what to say. What _could_ she say? How should she even bring the topic up?

Rationally, she knew that the best course of action would be to pretend like nothing happened, or that it wasn't a big deal at all - like it was _normal_ for her to kiss a friend like that. Like it was normal for her to be kissing people, at all.

But...she couldn't do that. Something _did_ happen.

Something huge...monumental...life altering…

Confusing and tumultuous.

And the lack of words from Ruby told her that the brunette must be feeling the exact same way.

The thought of this ruining her friendship with Ruby, of making it so uncomfortable that they couldn't even speak to one another, sent chills of terror down her spine.

She _needed_ Ruby in her life. The brunette was the lift behind her smile, the high note in her laughter. Without the prospect of spending time with Ruby lingering on the horizon...there would be very little reason to enjoy her day.

She needed to fix this. She might not yet know what to say, but she needed to talk to Ruby and make this right.

But first, she had to go to lunch as her father had ordered.

There was nothing like sharing a meal with a complete stranger to ruin her already dreadful day. But there was no way she would risk angering her father by missing such an important appointment.

So, regardless of her mood, she obediently got dressed for lunch - wearing a formal, ice blue dress with a pair of matching light blue heels.

'Schnee Blue,' as her mother referred to it. This particular clothing designer would use the color only for their family - a luxury for which they paid handsomely.

After making her way quietly downstairs to the coat closet, she wished she hadn't been so absentminded as to leave her favorite jacket at Ruby's the day before. A standard black jacket would have to do for today...

The time driving to the restaurant was spent thinking of how to mend things with Ruby, a multitude of possible conversations playing through her mind, many times stacking overtop of one another. At the same time, a loudly protesting stomach reminded her that she hadn't eaten in over a day.

Some food would probably go a long way in helping her think more clearly. Or it would at least prevent her stomach from serving as an additional distraction.

A few minutes ahead of schedule, she was dropped off in front of one of the nicest lunch restaurants in all of Vale. Hoping the mayor would at least have the courtesy to arrive on time, she strode purposefully through the front door being held open for her by one of the restaurant's hosts.

When she felt small bubbles of nerves appear, she immediately pushed them down - reminding herself that she was a Schnee, and _no one_, no matter how powerful, wealthy, or influential, made a Schnee nervous.

The tuxedo wearing host at the front desk greeted her by name before leading her to a table, where she was pleasantly surprised to find that her guest had already arrived.

As expected, she received an eyebrow arched in surprise upon being escorted to the table - the older gentleman clearly having expected someone else.

But, she was used to this reaction. It wasn't the first time her father had sent her along in his place, after all. And it likely wouldn't be the last, for there seemed to be no shortage of men and women who needed to be put in their place.

"Weiss Schnee," she announced confidently, sticking out one hand for a handshake after the man rose from his seat. "It's very nice to finally meet you, Mayor Ozpin."

The mayor appeared to be middle-aged despite his gray hair. At least, his spry energy gave off the appearance of being younger than he might actually be. The full moon spectacles he was wearing added to an overwhelming aura of intelligence, as if he knew of things no one else did. On his lips perched a whimsical smile that only reinforced the idea that he held secrets he was just dying to tell her.

"Likewise," came the polite response with a nod of the head and gentle shake of her hand. "I've heard only remarkable things about Frederick Schnee's youngest daughter."

Biting her tongue to keep the words 'only daughter' at bay, she gave him a cordial smile before taking her seat, allowing the host to push in her chair before leaving their table to return to his post.

"'Remarkable' is a word better left reserved for those far more accomplished than I," she replied, internally hearing her parents' scoffs at such a term being used to describe their lowly daughter.

"Top of your class from grade school through college, a wonderful pianist, widely known for the utmost level of poise and composure...which of those things are unremarkable to you?"

A frown creased her brow as he retook his own seat. While his words weren't secrets, she certainly hadn't expected him to know any personal information about her at all.

"I try my best to make my family proud," she responded civilly, hoping that the response would mark the end of this rather strange conversation.

But he only smiled knowingly at her, as if her answer had already been anticipated.

"There's a difference between bringing pride to your family and making your family proud. Which do you strive for?"

The question stumped her - making her pause for an instant too long as she struggled to discover the most politically correct answer.

But it turned out to be rhetorical, the man moving on before she had the opportunity to attempt a response.

"I will admit that I was foolishly expecting someone else today," he said quietly, courteously unfolding his napkin only after she'd placed hers neatly upon her lap.

"My father sends his regards and his apologies, but he had other matters to attend to," she replied easily, picking up her menu to decide what she would order, trying to forget the unsettling feeling the prior question had left in her mind.

"I'm sure he's a very busy man…" the mayor replied, obviously not believing the party line she'd just used, but following suit in picking up his own menu anyway - making sure to maintain eye contact with her overtop it.

"I must say I'm relieved. You have no idea how long I've sought after a meal with good conversation and no political agendas involved."

The comment caught her immediate attention. She studied his brown eyes closely, struggling to determine if he was being truthful or trying to lure her into a false sense of security. It was common knowledge that politicians had a way of weaseling information out of unsuspecting guests - using their charms and good-natured ways to ease people into spilling information.

And she certainly had a wealth of information he would love to hear - an abundance of ammunition which could be used to bend her father's will to align with the new government's goals.

Because her family was not free of skeletons in the closet...not by a long shot.

"I don't know what possible topics you would like to cover," she replied, testing the water in an effort to judge his response.

"Oh, anything you'd like - how you feel about Vale, what you'd like to change, what drives you…"

"My opinion of Vale holds little weight," she responded quickly...and maybe a little resentfully.

But it was the truth. Her father's word was all that mattered in terms of what changed in the city. Even the mayor must know this by now...

"Ah...much to the contrary," the man said with a light laugh. "What you think holds more weight than the average young lady. You just don't realize it yet."

So he was going to be one of _those_ politicians - the one who spoke in riddles, silver tongue implying greatness with little background knowledge on the true situation.

But unlike the other men she'd met of the same breed, he seemed genuine in his interest and in his ill-placed confidence in her. And the topics he suggested seemed safe and appropriate for their meal. They would reveal little in terms of personal information and even less about her father's political agenda if she answered correctly.

Plus, besides Ruby, no one had ever asked for her opinion before and truly wanted to hear an answer.

A few months ago, she would have instantly frozen the man out - refusing to surrender to him one iota of her personal thoughts - but now...it wasn't as difficult to believe that he was honestly interested in his questions. It wasn't impossible to believe that he might actually be a kind person.

There were certainly worse ways to pass the time...and at least it would temporarily draw her mind away from the girl who still hadn't contacted her.

And the time certainly passed quickly - their food arriving and disappearing, the waiter continually refilling the man's coffee and her cup of tea as they talked.

They spoke of big picture problems - inequality, crime, corruption - while also touching upon the more mundane - how she'd enjoyed college, what her favorite restaurant was.

With every passing minute, she'd grown to like the man more and more. His personality was not unlike that of a mentor - trustworthy and knowledgeable while quietly reserving judgement on her opinions. All of his responses were guiding in nature - steering her without forcing her in any particular direction.

Inexplicably, he seemed to hold the highest of regards for her, even though he knew hardly anything about her other than her more publicized history. At first, she'd been bothered by the way he would phrase everything as 'you _can_ do this' or 'you _can_ do that,' but eventually she'd found herself wanting to believe him more than anything.

After spending much more time than anticipated in the restaurant, they'd eventually exited the table and made their way outside, where the winter air greeted them with an unfriendly nip on the cheeks.

"I'll tell my father you send your best," she said, a puff of frozen air billowing from her lips as she pulled her jacket a little tighter.

"That's not necessary," the man immediately responded, shaking his head. "Tell him whatever needs to be said - don't worry about me. I have a feeling I'll be at odds with him for quite some time, regardless."

For what must be the tenth time since they'd met, his words left her with none. It was as if somehow he _knew_ that her father would only become angry if she tried to stand up for the man…

"It was a pleasure to meet you, Miss Schnee," Mayor Ozpin said with a smile and slight bow of his head. "I have a feeling our paths will cross again."

With a much warmer handshake than their initial greeting, the man turned and made his retreat towards his next destination, wherever that may be.

Freed from that surprisingly pleasant obligation, she pulled out her phone to check for any missed messages - having at least been considerate enough to silence the device for the entirety of the meal.

Finding zero messages or missed calls, she let out a big sigh, allowing her hands to drop back to her sides in disappointment. The warm glow of good conversation faded instantly, replaced by the apprehensive energy that had consumed her since this morning.

It had now been an entire day since they'd communicated...and it was every bit as unnerving as it was lonely.

She didn't want to go back to this - to the silence that had once dominated her world. Self imposed as it may have been, there was one voice she wanted to hear now.

She wanted to tell Ruby all about her lunch - about how well it had gone and how much she'd ended up liking the city's newest leader. Truthfully, she would have never given the man a fighting chance if she hadn't known Ruby...if she hadn't known that there could be good people in the world who cared about the words she had to say.

With lunch over, she had her driver take her immediately home. A few hours devoted to coming up with the perfect words to say was exactly what she needed.

That is...if Ruby was even willing to listen to whatever she was able to come up with.

Handing her coat to a nearby housekeeper when she stepped through the front door, she was already on the way up the staircase when her mother appeared on the top landing - about to make her way down. The woman looked right past her, refusing to make any acknowledgement of her existence while descending the staircase - brushing right past her elbow without a word.

Upset for a mere moment, she pushed those unnecessary feelings down and continued the path to her room. Once inside, she sat down at her desk and pulled out a piece of stationery and pen to try to write down her thoughts.

An hour later and nothing but Ruby's name had made it to the page.

Everything that came to mind she refused to write down for fear of memorializing the idea in legible form - where any literate person would be able to read her innermost thoughts.

Instead, she came up with a slew of excuses, each successive one worse than the last.

_They were just friends and shouldn't do it again_...like Ruby was begging her for another kiss with continued silence.

_It had been a mistake_...but it certainly hadn't _felt _like one, especially not with the way her heart pounded at the mere thought of the word.

_She didn't want it to ruin their relationship_...which was absolutely true, but delved too deeply into what the kiss had meant to each of them. And she really didn't want to think about what it had meant to her - the memory still triggering all manners of foreign reactions within her body.

When a hesitant knock sounded on the bedroom door, she gladly gave up her hopeless endeavor, tossing the pen down onto the desk.

"Come in," she called, twisting in her chair towards the door but not standing up.

One of the housekeepers poked her head in a few seconds later, looking around hesitantly until spotting her sitting at the desk. Only then did the woman approach nervously, as if she'd been sent here on a suicide mission.

"Miss Schnee...your mother said she needs to give the final headcount to the caterer tomorrow. She wanted to know if there was anyone else you wanted to invite."

Ah…

No matter how small it might be, she recognized the gesture for what it was...an olive branch.

The woman had no idea how to appropriately apologize, so instead was granting her permission to invite someone 'beneath' them to the wedding. To grant the opportunity of a lifetime to someone deemed unworthy in the woman's eyes.

Yang, Blake...Ruby...should she invite them? Would they come?

Did she even want them there?

"No," she replied with a forced smile. "There will be no one else. Thank you."

With a nod of acknowledgment, the woman disappeared an instant later - the bedroom door shutting with an almost inaudible 'click.'

Everyone was treating the wedding as a big celebration...a party...but she saw it much more as a funeral - the end of whatever idea of freedom she'd held onto in life thus far. And the thought of standing at the altar saying 'I do'...with Ruby sitting there...those silver eyes watching...as _Cardin_ kissed her...

She couldn't do that. The thought alone was enough to bring tears to her eyes.

Quickly rubbing the unshed tears away, she turned back to the desk, immeasurably disappointed by her inability to communicate with Ruby in any fashion - her complete failure only enunciated by the blank page staring up at her.

Searching for a source of inspiration (or seeking to add to her misery), she opened the bottom drawer of the desk and pulled out the small framed photograph that was always kept hidden inside. Straightening up with the object in her hands, she ran a thumb across the glass and smiled sadly.

It was a picture of the four of them together - her mother, father, Winter, and herself.

It was one of the few moments she could remember feeling truly happy - before Winter's sickness, when she'd still been naive to the way the world worked, to the way _people_ worked.

The photograph had been taken on Winter's 8th birthday. Their parents had thrown another lavishly extravagant party for the eldest Schnee princess, complete with _real_ unicorns - one of the birthday girl's many, many wishes that year.

Of course, they weren't _actually _unicorns, but they looked pretty darn close. The white stallions had exquisitely carved horns attached to their foreheads, their tails and manes threaded with glittering streams of blue, pink, and purple. As a finishing touch, ornate golden saddles were situated upon the animals' backs - making them look as if they'd just walked straight out of a fairy tale.

She and Winter were each sitting upon one of the animals - grinning like the oblivious children they had been. Her mother was standing by Winter's side, while her father stood by her own.

They all looked happy…or, at least, she and Winter looked happy. Her mother and father looked...less tired.

The more she stared at the photograph, the more she understood her mother's anger and sorrow.

Every time the woman looked at her, she must see Winter. The two of them had been nearly identical in appearance - same clear blue eyes, long white hair, pale skin...how many times had they been mistaken for twins, even though they were several years apart?

Did it excuse her mother's behavior? Maybe not...but she could at least try to sympathize with the woman's loss...for Winter had embraced the Schnee name far more than she ever had. The girl had been destined to carry the torch and was unflinchingly willing to do so.

Maybe it would have been better if she'd been the one to fall ill, after all. Then their family would have the heiress it so desperately needed - someone eager to sit on that ivory throne, to marry the prince and live the rest of her life in the castle.

Because that just wasn't her...and never had been.

She still tried...she _always _tried...but it wasn't who she was meant to be.

It wasn't who she wanted to be.

Flipping the frame over, she returned it carefully to the drawer before closing it once more, to be looked at again in several more years, most likely.

The unexpected sound of her phone buzzing harshly against the table made her jump in the seat before lunging for the device.

She could have cried out in joy when she saw the message from Ruby waiting there for her.

_I need to talk to you...I'll wait for you at the tower every day at 8 until you show up._

The tone of the text was different from what she'd been expecting, but she smiled anyway - beyond relieved that the current of conversation had finally been re-established.

Of course she would show up. And of course it would be tonight. Why would she make Ruby wait when she wanted to see her too? And when she got there, she'd say...what exactly?

She still didn't know. But that seemed much less important than seeing Ruby - seeing that smile...smelling the rose scented shampoo...feeling her soft skin…

Like a hug - not anything more than that.

Giving up on arguing with herself, she sent back a simple 'I'll be there' before realizing there wasn't much time before 8 p.m. Standing from the desk, she rang downstairs to have a car waiting for her before hastily throwing on some weather appropriate clothing.

It felt like there were wings on her feet as she flew downstairs and into the waiting vehicle - the driver shutting the door quietly behind her before getting into the front seat, asking where she'd like to go. Directing him impatiently to Vale University, she sat back in her seat and waited.

The drive there was unbearably long. She passed the time fidgeting in a very Ruby-esque manner - knee bouncing, hands fidgeting.

Discovering that she kept spinning the ring on her finger around and around, she eventually pulled it off and placed it in one of the tiny compartments in the vehicle without even thinking. Somehow, removing the item was liberating - even though it still left an indentation where it had just been.

Rubbing at the imprint, she gazed out the window while trying to come up with the right words to say.

Several minutes, a pair of gloves and a scarf later, she was released into the cold. Instructing the driver to wait for her even though she knew he already would, she located the clock tower standing above campus and made her way quickly towards it. There weren't many students around tonight - likely due to the weather taking a recent turn for the worse.

Walking through the brisk air, she made it to the base of the tower in no time. Craning her neck upward, she thought that she might possibly catch a glimpse of Ruby standing above her, but found nothing but the clock looming overhead, displaying a time shortly after eight.

Making it to the door in the base of the object, she glanced around to make sure no one was within view, just as Ruby had done that first night. Once she was convinced no one could see her, she hesitantly reached out and tried the handle, breathing a sigh of relief when she found it unlocked.

Stepping inside, she was plunged into darkness when she closed the door quietly behind her. She waited for her eyes to adjust, which didn't work very well at all - it was still incredibly dark inside this space. Looking up, she was unable to see more than faint dying light slipping through the crack in the door far above her head.

Reaching back to the door she'd just entered, her hand bumped blindly against it in search of the deadbolt, eventually stumbling across it and sliding it shut as quietly as possible. Extending another hand in front of her, she groped aimlessly until her fingers hit the metal railing of the staircase. Grasping it firmly, she took a deep breath and began climbing.

Hopefully, the long climb would give her time to still her rapidly beating heart...


	16. Chapter 16

**Happy Friday, everyone! I have yet another installment of this wonderfully angsty story for you :P**

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There were a lot of steps to climb...staircase after staircase lining the inside of the tower leading her towards the platform atop the building.

Her goal had been to traverse these stairs slowly, to use the journey as an opportunity to calm her thoughts and decide what she truly wanted to say. Instead, she reached the top of the tower much sooner than expected - her burning desire to see Ruby overwhelming her need to mentally prepare for what was to come.

As a result, she'd pushed herself to climb faster than she probably should have - the exertion made abundantly clear as she paused in front of the door - panting heavily while her heart beat thunderously in her chest.

But she'd made it - she was finally here.

This unspectacular door was all that was left separating her from Ruby.

Several seconds ago, it would have seemed impossible for her to be any more nervous than she'd been when dropped off at the Value University campus...but her nerves had continued to build as she thought about what might be waiting for her beyond the door.

No matter how much she thought about it, or how many simulations she ran through in her head, she had absolutely no idea what Ruby was going to say - or how the brunette would respond to what she would say.

And she didn't even know _what_ she would say, for crying out loud.

It was the worst possible situation for her to be in. She _hated_ the unknown. It made her feel uncomfortable and anxious like nothing else.

But, no matter what may be in store for them, she needed to know the answer right now. Their time together was far too precious to continue in this manner for a second longer.

Summoning one last ounce of courage, she reached out and grabbed ahold of the door handle - the metal cold enough to chill her fingers through her glove. Turning it slowly, she pushed the door open, trying to make as little noise as possible as she stepped out of the stairwell.

The initial blast of wind bit roughly at her cheeks, sending a harsh reminder that they were still very much in the grip of winter. Her first breath of fresh air came in as a gasp before being released as a cloud of frost in front of her.

Thankfully, she'd dressed more appropriately for the weather tonight with gloves and a scarf, but those items did little to shelter her nose and cheeks from the cold.

The weather meant very little to her for long, however, the cold almost completely disappearing when her eyes found the lone figure occupying the space below the giant, illuminated clock with her.

Leaning against the low wall across the rooftop stood the tall, lean figure of Ruby Rose - dressed in denim jeans while wearing a sturdy, dark red jacket. The brunette had her back turned towards the door as she gazed out towards downtown Vale, elbows resting on top of the wall while similar puffs of frozen air appeared from the girl's lips every few seconds.

The blindingly white full moon was just beginning to rise above the skyscrapers, while the best and brightest stars were already shining in the night sky.

The picture was beautiful...enough to take her frozen breath away - shattering all of the excuses and rationalizations that had passed through her mind on the long trek upwards just moments before.

All that was left were thoughts of how enchanting Ruby looked...how her own skin was tingling from their proximity...how her pulse was racing and her palms were sweating regardless of the cold.

Throughout her short life, she'd been surrounded constantly by beautiful things - the most beautiful possessions all the money in the world could buy. Irreplaceable paintings, the most sought after jewels, ancient sculptures...

But none of those things could even _begin_ to compare to Ruby right now, here in this moment.

Her family was blessed with unimaginable wealth, yet it was this moment - this completely _free_ moment in time - that truly took her breath away.

That had her heart lodged in her throat.

That made every nerve-wracking second leading up to this point, completely worth it.

The brunette was unaware of her presence - still staring towards the horizon while lost in thought.

Before she could decide how she would announce herself - either by calling out or walking silently over - the weather decided for her. Unprepared, a sudden gust of wind took the door right out of her hand and slammed it shut with a loud bang - instantly turning a startled Ruby her way.

Finding her standing there, now thoroughly embarrassed, the brunette instantly relaxed - even giving her a tiny smile in greeting.

"Hey, Weiss."

The same words she always received were given to her in greeting, but the tone was completely different. Gone was the effusive, uncontrollable energy she was usually met with. That giddiness had been replaced by hesitation - doubt.

Ruby was unsure of herself...as if she were afraid of saying or doing the wrong thing.

Maybe she was reading into it, but the greeting set off alarm bells in her head. She crossed the distance between them quickly, stopping only when she was standing right in front of Ruby, the city lying to her left. Her skin prickled as she found herself staring a second too long at the girl's lips, before finally allowing silver eyes to lock onto her own.

"Hello," she responded softly, mouth suddenly remarkably dry. Coughing lightly, her cheeks were heating up for no apparent reason under the unwavering silver gaze.

"Thank you for coming to see me."

The words were formal...way too formal.

Internally, her mind recoiled from Ruby's tone.

It wasn't right. Ruby shouldn't be acting this way. This wasn't who Ruby was - this wasn't the carefree girl she cared so much for.

She didn't like it, but it was her fault. This was the result of her own actions. If only she'd maintained more control over her emotions...if only she hadn't allowed her deepest desires slip out into the open...

"Of course I came to see you, Ruby," she replied, voice carrying a pleading edge as she tried to reach the Ruby she so desperately wanted to see.

Taking a step closer, a knife cut through her heart when Ruby took a step backward to match - the girl maintaining the distance between them while she attempted to close it.

"S-so uh...how was your day?"

She didn't fail to notice the slight quiver in the girl's hand as it was run nervously through brunette hair, accompanied by a quick shifting of feet.

"It was…"

There were many lies that would fit perfectly at the end of that sentence, but she decided to forgo those altogether.

"I had lunch with the mayor today," she said instead, hoping that a normal conversation would bring the girl back out of this shell.

"Really? The mayor?"

Normally, Ruby was very attentive to the words she said, but now...it almost seemed as if the girl were more interested in stalling for time than her actual responses.

But she answered anyway.

"Yes...he's actually a great person. I really liked him."

She left out the part where it had only been Ruby's positive influence that had made her give the man a chance to prove himself, to begin with. It didn't really seem like the right moment to lavish the girl with compliments...

"He seems like it. I ran into him once, you know."

The girl's words were so...dead. As if every ounce of life had been hollowed out of them, leaving nothing but empty carcuses that fell to the ground as soon as they were uttered.

"Really?" she asked, struggling to carry on a normal conversation, still hoping it would bring the cheerful side of the girl to light. "Walking around town or…?"

"No, I, uh...I _literally_ ran into him once."

"You...what?"

"Nearly knocked him over," Ruby elaborated, a minuscule smile of embarrassment finally appearing on her face. "That blonde lady with him was _mad_."

She couldn't help but chuckle at the image of Ruby running headfirst into the man before receiving a scolding from the woman who had most likely been his 'partner' Glynda. Although, he'd never elaborated on if she was a partner for business or more of a life partner...he just spoke exceptionally fondly of her.

An uncomfortable silence settled over them as the story abruptly ended there. What would have, on any other day, had her in stitches from laughter had hardly even brought a smile to her face - so unenthusiastic was the way in which it was told.

Scooting forward another inch, Ruby again matched her movement with an inch in the other direction.

Maybe...could Ruby be worried that she would try to kiss her again? Was the girl trying to maintain distance as a message that the contact was unwanted?

The thought rooted her feet to the ground, paralyzing her limbs from trying to step forward again.

"Ruby, I -"

Her voice truly was pleading now - begging Ruby to reach out to her, to cross this insufferable gulf that had appeared between them.

But Ruby held up a hand to silence her.

"Can I...can I say something first?"

She swallowed thickly in apprehension, but nodded her head for the girl to continue. She watched as Ruby opened and closed her mouth several times in search of the words to say.

"I'm...I'm sorry I didn't text you this morning. I just...I needed some time to get my thoughts together and figure out what I wanted to say..."

"That's…"

The word 'ok' died on her tongue, refusing to be released into the cold air.

"I understand," she whispered instead, following Ruby's gaze towards the skyscrapers only to realize the girl was staring directly at one of the buildings her family owned.

When Ruby suddenly turned back to her, it was with clear, determined eyes.

"I...wanted to apologize to you…f-for what happened yesterday."

Why did it hurt so much...that Ruby was going to tell her it was all just a big mistake?

That had been one of the very same thoughts she'd been having...but somehow...maybe she'd just hoped that it hadn't been...

"I never..._never_ should have taken advantage of you like that."

Her brow furrowed in confusion at those words - being the exact opposite of what she'd just been mentally preparing herself for. That hadn't been what she'd expected _at all_…and it hardly made sense.

_She'd_ been the one who had taken advantage of Ruby's kindness. _She'd_ been the one to spring her feelings unexpectedly on the poor girl - not the other way around.

"Taken advantage?" her lips asked dumbly.

"Yes!" Ruby responded with much more vigor, running one hand through her short hair in apparent frustration. "I mean...you were super vulnerable and I should have just been a shoulder for you to cry on. Instead, I let my own feelings take over and did something unacceptable. I'm like...I'm just a complete idiot."

Visibly upset, the brunette spun away from her, directing that silver gaze back towards the moon and the stars.

Her eyes followed Ruby, latching onto only one part of the girl's words as her heart rate sped up.

The next question was a struggle to force from her mouth from fear of the answer unraveling what small amount of poise she was still clinging onto.

"Your...feelings...?"

Ruby's eyes darted back to her before flitting away, the brunette shoving both hands deep into her jacket pockets while shuffling her feet back and forth. The question made the girl plainly uncomfortable, but Weiss grasped onto it like the string of a kite - hoping, praying for a gust of wind to lift her right off the ground with it.

"Uh...well, yeah…" Ruby answered, shifting back and forth while resisting any of her attempts to make eye contact. "I mean, I kind of...really like you...so uh…"

The girl trailed off, the confession hanging in the air between them - thicker and _much_ more visible than their breaths.

And even though she'd heard it...even though she could almost _see_ it in the girl's eyes...she couldn't believe it.

'_Really like you'_

As much as she'd prepared herself for _anything_…there had been just _one_ scenario she'd steadfastly refused to allow her mind to consider - locking the very possibility in an iron vice never to be released.

Until that scenario became reality.

It wasn't a gust of wind that pulled her feet off the ground - it was a tornado.

"Ruby, I - I'm..."

Her voice was strangled, heart beating painfully while one hand subconsciously went to her finger, the same finger where the diamond ring had just been.

God, how she wished it weren't true. She would give anything in the world, _anything_, for it to be a lie - for the chance to admit her feelings out loud.

For the chance to say 'I like you too.'

"Engaged - I know…" Ruby finished for her, looking disheartened once again.

"I know it's stupid, but...I just can't help it! You're so amazing and funny and kind….spending time with you is like the _best_ thing ever. I could spend everyday with you, seriously, and never get bored. And hugging you...and kissing you...ok, I might not have anything to compare it to, but that was...pretty incredible."

She could do nothing but stare at the girl in shell shocked astonishment.

It was one thing for _her_ to think those things, but to hear them spoken aloud...and about _her_...

"And now I've made you uncomfortable," Ruby wailed, responding to her frozen posture and wide eyes before rushing on. "I'm sorry…I never should have said anything _or_ done anything. Let's just forget it and be friends - these feelings will go away -"

"No!"

Her hand halted in the air between them, signaling Ruby to cease her rapid words so that she could take a few seconds to think. She could feel her cheeks flushing from her unexpected yell, unsure where that force had come from but not regretting its result.

She'd never had someone confess to her in this way...she was pretty sure no one had ever even felt this way about her before. And she'd certainly never been referred to as funny or kindhearted…

Ruby was watching her closely now while patiently waiting for some sort of response, silver eyes filled with innocent hope.

_Now_ was when she needed to find words that had been eluding her all day.

"First...first of all, you did _not_ take advantage of me, so take that thought right out of your mind."

"But -"

"No," she interrupted before Ruby could argue, hand still raised in the air while she spoke. "I'm old enough to control my emotions to _some_ degree, ok?"

The girl bit her bottom lip and gave her a small nod of understanding.

"And...about...your, well, how you feel…"

Her words trailed off as she struggled to decide upon what she wanted to say.

The 'right' path was illuminated before her - the proper thing to do - the _Schnee_ thing to do.

They couldn't be together forever. They couldn't have a 'happily ever after.' There was a definitive end date for all of this - and it was growing nearer as they spoke.

But the words 'I'm sorry' or 'this won't work' refused to march themselves off the tip of her tongue. She didn't want Ruby to think...she _couldn't_ let Ruby believe that she didn't feel the same way.

But she also couldn't put the words she _wanted_ to say out into the air between them - lending voice to such thoughts would give far too much strength to the feelings she was still futilely struggling to reign in.

Instead, she dropped her hand onto the front of Ruby's jacket, grabbing a fistful of the downy material before pulling the girl into her - crashing their lips together in a kiss.

Just like yesterday, the contact scorched her veins with fire, bolts of lightning sending tingles of electricity across her skin. Any doubts of the action were quickly erased from her mind as she lost herself in the brunette's arms - Ruby returning the kiss eagerly now. The heat between them grew stronger and stronger, accelerating as their lips clashed with more and more passion.

Less driven by surprise than the day before, she had the opportunity to savor every bit of this moment - the soft, strikingly hot feeling of Ruby's lips and tongue moving against her own...the enveloping warmth provided by hands that slid up and down her sides, her neck, her waist...leaving a burning hot trail whenever they'd just been and tingling anticipations where they were headed...

Her own gloved hands became much more bold, threading their way through brunette hair before sliding down to the back of the girl's neck - the slightest pressure there bringing Ruby even closer to her.

Giving in completely, she wrapped both arms around the brunette's neck, pulling their bodies flesh together as they shared every shred of warmth on this frozen rooftop with one another - creating additional waves of heat at the same time.

It was this way, through touch, that she told Ruby what she couldn't bring herself to say through words.

Fondness...affection...desire…

The feelings that had been hidden in the most guarded places in her heart had just been released, rejoicing in the rose scented embrace she found herself wrapped in.

There was no possible way she would ever get these emotions back into their hiding places...not after experiencing this...connection. Not after creating a bond unlike anything she'd felt before.

But maybe she could let them be free...just for tonight.


	17. Chapter 17

**To the people who've been asking me about Red Carpet Romance, I'm sorry but I just haven't been writing very much recently! Rush is already finished, so I'm just polishing the chapters and posting them. Otherwise, my life has been a little crazy the last month. But I do plan to continue it eventually!**

**But that's good news for you Rush fans because I'm going to close out this story as quickly as possible!**

* * *

She'd never been a terribly big fan of those cheesy, predictable romantic movies everyone else seemed to enjoy. She'd just never understood how they could possibly apply to real life.

The hopeless fall...the inescapable attraction...the happily ever after...

They weren't _realistic _\- they were just improbable representations of what everyone _wished _romance could be, not what it truly was.

But recently, she'd begun to think that maybe the people who'd written such frivolous stories were on to something.

How long had she and Ruby stayed atop the tower, generating enough heat between them to withstand the cold and then some?

How did every shade of the color red immediately bring the girl to mind - and a smile at the same time?

How was it possible for one person to take up so much of her thoughts?

It was only after she'd poured her heart out to Ruby through her lips that the fire within her had died down to a smoldering ember - still very much alive, but safely contained within the walls of her heart, to be rekindled at a later time.

Every second of their night together still lingered on her skin like an invisible tattoo - presenting itself to her every time she moved a muscle. Something as simple as a soft breath of air would raise goosebumps on her arms as if Ruby's hand had just passed across her once again.

But even this constant reminder of the brunette wasn't enough - the floodgates had been opened and she burned for more.

More touching, more kissing, more _everything_.

It was terrifying and exhilarating - unsettling and intoxicating.

It was like nothing she ever could have imagined.

And it might not be decent or proper, but neither of those words seemed to register when she was in Ruby's presence. There were no such things as too much, too little, too fast, or too slow.

There was only Ruby.

It was only when she'd found herself sitting in the back of the limo for the solitary drive back to her home that she'd felt the crushing weight of her actions.

It was only when she'd slipped the extravagant engagement ring back onto her finger that she'd felt her happiness begin to leave her.

They couldn't be together...it could never be. The expiration date for her freedom had already been set.

But an addiction like this wasn't so easy to cure - her feverish desire overruling the whims of pragmatism.

Which was why instead of sitting at home poring over the confirmed guest list, she was currently headed to Ruby's apartment, liberating herself of the infernal band locked around her finger once more.

When the vehicle glided to a stop in front of the building, she instructed the driver to wait - remembering to bring Ruby's jacket with her as she exited. Rushing through the cold into the familiar lobby, she pressed the button to call an elevator to the ground floor. Once it had arrived, she stepped calmly inside and waited for her exit on the fifth floor - neatly folded coat held in both hands.

Her controlled movements camouflaged the nerves rampantly coursing through her body - appearing to be a model of grace while suffering from an infection of butterflies.

Taking a deep breath, she tried to release the air in a slow, steady stream to prove to herself that she wasn't actually anxious. Instead, it rushed out in jagged puffs of air, uneven in every sense of the word.

She didn't know why she was so nervous...it was just Ruby, after all.

Actually, it was _Ruby_, after all. And she'd never been on a real date before...not that this was a real date.

Or was it?

Shaking her head as the elevator doors opened, she stepped out and made her way hastily to Ruby's apartment. Coming to a stop directly in front of the door, she raised one hand and knocked hesitantly three times.

Nervous...but excited at the same time. She'd never been so eager to do something she was unsure about.

"Ohhh wonder who that could be?" a teasing voice rang out from the other side of the door immediately after her knock faded from the air.

"Yang! Let me get it!"

A second later, Yang ripped open the front door against her younger sister's wishes - the grin on her face immediately disappearing to make way for confusion.

"Weiss? What are you doing here? I thought Ruby said -"

At that moment, the aforementioned brunette forcefully shoved the blonde out of the doorway.

"Ok, ready to go!" Ruby said cheerfully, grabbing a set of keys off the small table by the door before turning to wave at her sister, who was now watching them with narrowed eyes.

"Don't wait up!" the brunette shouted as she stepped out into the hallway with Weiss, pulling the door shut behind her.

"Believe me, I will," came Yang's muffled response just as the door clicked shut.

At some point over the last few seconds, her feet had frozen to the floor, unable to move with Ruby now hovering in her atmosphere.

There was something different about the girl today...something lighter, happier, more beautiful...

"Oh, my coat!"

The exclamation snapped her from her thoughts, finding Ruby already reaching forward to relieve her of the item. Looking back and forth between the closed door and the superfluous jacket, the brunette finally hung it on the door handle rather than take it back inside.

"Someone will put it away later," Ruby said when noticing the confused expression Weiss was giving her. "Shall we go?

Nodding her head slowly, she followed Ruby back to the elevator so that the two of them could make their way down to the car waiting outside. Ruby chattered happily about her day the entire time - which seemed to have been quite eventful without anything exciting actually occurring.

But the way the girl spoke - every other sentence receiving an excited exclamation point at the end - made everything sound much more interesting.

Regardless, it was impossible not to laugh when Ruby described her lunch as 'one of the last living dinosaurs' before concluding that it was 'a worthy foe, but no wonder dinosaurs are extinct.'

Following the brunette inside the cabin of their waiting vehicle, they settled in for the short drive ahead of them in what would be a temporary silence. The world outside the window drew her enraptured attention as she tried to pretend that she didn't notice the way Ruby was staring at her.

"You look great...by the way."

The compliment instantly drew her gaze from outside, finding Ruby glancing towards her bashfully.

"I…um, thank you..."

She was already flustered. They'd been together for all of _two _minutes and she'd already lost the ability to form coherent sentences.

Hopefully she would regain the ability to speak like a proper person when they arrived at their destination - Vale Ice, the city's largest and most popular ice skating rink.

With how cold it was outside, she really had no idea why they were going _ice_ skating. But...she'd left it up to Ruby to decide their activity and would never dream of shooting down such an enthusiastic choice - even though she had suggested they just throw a bucket of water on the ground and skate on that when it froze seconds later.

A few minutes later, they were stepping inside the giant arena, greeted by the large, enclosed space. The ice housed in the middle of the building made the air inside cool, but not too chilling.

It was moderately busy this evening and filled by the sounds of people talking, laughing, and the steady scratching of metal against ice.

"Wait right here," Ruby said, abandoning her amidst the many wooden benches outside the oval rink in favor of dashing off to the front counter. Doing as instructed, she sat down on the closest bench and watched the brunette speak eagerly with the girl at the counter before paying. Seconds later, the employee handed Ruby two pairs of skates and sent the girl running back towards her.

"Hereee you go!" Ruby said with a grin while handing over a pair.

Taking the skates, she turned them over to find the small red number imprinted on the back of the heel.

"Wait, Ruby, how do you know my size?" she asked as the brunette sat down beside her and began to remove her shoes.

"I was talking about not having any nice shoes and you asked me what size I wore, remember? Then I asked you what size _you_ wore and committed it to memory!"

"Ah...well, good memory."

It was more than just a good memory...anyone could remember a shoe size if they wanted to.

It was the 'wanting to' part that made her feel foolishly light inside...that something so small and trivial had been important enough for Ruby to remember so diligently.

As the brunette went back to putting on her skates, she looked down at the pair in her own hands - nose wrinkling slightly at their appearance.

The metal blade at the bottom appeared sharp, likely maintained nearly every day, but that's clearly where the upkeep on these items stopped. The once pearly white material had dulled from overuse, now with more than a few scratches and nicks flawing its complexion. One end of the brilliant orange laces appeared as if it had been chewed off by a rabid creature, and the soles had been heavily worn out.

She glanced back at Ruby, who was already in the process of lacing her skates up. The girl clearly had no issue with wearing something a hundred other people had already had their feet in.

Turning back to the skates, she felt her brow furrow.

Never before had she worn something someone else had worn before her...unless playing dress up with her mother's clothing when she was a child counted…

"Do you need help?"

Ruby was looking at her now, already completely laced up and ready to go.

"Oh, I…"

"Here, let me help you," the girl said before she could finish whatever excuse she'd been about to say.

Kneeling down on the squishy, black matting in front of her, Ruby took the skates from her hands and set them on the ground to begin preparing them. She watched while the girl's fingers quickly loosened the laces before holding one skate out towards her right foot. Taking the initiative that she should remove her shoes, she did so and allowed Ruby to gently slide the skate onto her foot.

Carefully lowering her heel to the ground, Ruby leaned over her foot to tie the laces, strands of brunette hair falling down into the girl's eyes.

"Trick is, you need to tie them nice and tight," the brunette mumbled softly while pulling each inch of the laces a little tighter around her foot. "Otherwise your ankles won't stay straight."

Tying a nice bow on top, Ruby looked up at her, silver eyes filled with questions.

"Does that feel ok? Not too tight?"

Taking a second to wiggle her toes and test the pressure, she shook her head - the answer making the girl grin before beginning the same process with the left skate.

Biting her lip, she watched the brunette closely, a tiny jolt of electricity running through her foot when Ruby's hand grazed her ankle as the second skate slipped on.

Was it just her imagination, or had something between them shifted?

It felt the same, yet different. Impossibly, more exciting than it had already been. They seemed to stand closer, there are more brushes of contact that made her face blush horribly. She caught herself staring more often, she felt a much stronger urge for physical contact, and suddenly found herself daydreaming, _often,_ of kissing the girl.

And when Ruby spoke to her...the girl leaned really close, lowering her voice as if everything they said was a secret - something that the outside world couldn't be allowed to hear.

Feeling a pat on the sides of her new 'shoes,' she looked down to find Ruby had already finished and was standing up.

"Ok, how do they feel?" the brunette asked while grabbing her hands and pulling her easily off the bench.

It was very sweet, how concerned Ruby was for her comfort...although the brunette should probably be more concerned about the various foot diseases they were likely contracting from these rental skates.

Still, that little detail didn't diminish the clear care being displayed for her happiness.

"Snug, but not too tight," she answered with a smile that Ruby returned in kind.

"Perfect! Then we're ready to go!"

The two of them walked slowly towards the small gate that allowed people on and off the ice. Their footsteps were awkward from treading upon the squishy material flooring the common area, but eventually they made it to the railing of the rink. After waiting for a few people coming off the ice to pass them by, Ruby held the little door opened and motioned Weiss through before her.

Stepping onto the ice carefully, she made sure to maintain a firm grip on the railing while she got her footing. Ruby hopped onto the ice behind her and closed the door with a soft 'click' as the latch fell back into place.

Now, she wasn't _horrible_ at ice skating...she'd been a handful of times (always with a pair of skates her parents had purchased for her) and had gotten to the point where she could be trusted not to fall every other second.

However, she was certainly not good enough to be sprinting around the rink, spinning in pirouettes before stopping on a dime.

"_How_ are you so good at this?"

Her tone carried an ounce of chagrin as she stared at her companion.

Despite her misgivings, she _had _been raised a Schnee - and the number of times she'd been so clearly bested at something could be counted on one hand.

But it was difficult to remain vexed when her answer was accompanied by an adorable giggle and sweet grin - Ruby spinning gracefully around in front of her and skating slowly backwards while replying.

"One winter there was this really cute girl working here -"

"Oh."

She instantly regretted asking the question and, suddenly, didn't even want to hear the rest of the answer.

"That _Yang_ had a huge crush on," Ruby continued with an even wider grin. "Anyway, she dragged me here basically every day because 'going alone would be too obvious.' I ended up getting pretty good - of course Yang still can't skate a wink because she spent all her time flirting at the front desk."

"Ah…"

Why did that answer make her feel so much better? Ruby was allowed to think other girls were cute. She just...really didn't want to hear about them. It made her envious in a way she couldn't really explain - where the idea of buying the entire building and instituting a 'male only' employee code seemed to make rational sense.

Ruby skated back beside her and nudged her playfully in the side, nearly knocking her off balance on her extremely wobbly legs. Thankfully, the brunette caught her by the arm to steady her before they continued onward at the more leisurely pace Weiss set.

"Would this 'cute girl' happen to be Blake?" she asked, eyes trained on the ice in front of her.

Ruby laughed at the question, clearly privy to knowledge she didn't have.

"No, just another of Yang's little flings..."

"Really? I was under the impression she hadn't dated anyone prior to Blake," she commented in genuine surprise as they continued their slow crawl around the edge of the ice skating rink.

"She didn't, really. Nothing ever went past a date or two. She was much more a catch and release type of girl."

"Then how did she end up with Blake?"

"Oh, that's a good story!" Ruby practically squealed, clapping her hands in excitement while doing a little stutter step that would have sent Weiss crashing to the ice in a heartbeat.

"They met...in a library."

"Uh…"

"Hold on, that's not the good part!" Ruby said with a giggle at her questioning glance.

"It was the end of first semester - right around this time, actually - when she was trying to find one of the more obscure libraries on campus for a particular book. But...because she hadn't set foot in a library all semester, she'd gotten herself lost in the wrong library. Naturally, she picked the most attractive girl she could find to ask for directions - which happened to be Blake."

"And Blake fell victim to her charms - happily ever after?" she guessed, knowing full well how magnetic Yang could be when putting forth the effort.

"Nnnnope! Blake gave her directions and sent her on her way. Now, if you ask Yang, she'll tell you she was just 'planting a seed' and was _intentionally_ trying to be aloof. But if you ask Blake, she'll tell you that Yang couldn't string two words together and was blushing like a fool."

That image made her laugh out loud. Yang seemed perfectly capable of flirting with anyone and everyone, so the idea of someone making _her_ flustered seemed almost too good to be true.

"Having her superpower taken away must have been a real surprise for her," she commented with a smirk, right before Ruby caught her arm as she nearly tripped and fell again.

Damn bumps in the ice...

"It totally was...so, she went back the next day to try to find Blake, but Blake wasn't there. She went back day after day with no luck at all."

She was interested now, drawn into the story...or, at least, drawn into the way Ruby was telling it.

"Where did Blake go?"

"Well, it turns out she hadn't liked that library very much once 'idiot' people preparing for finals started showing up all the time, so she was spending all her free time at a different one."

"Oh, of course," she commented with a laugh, Ruby again catching her the arm when her skates wobbled a little too much. "So, how did they finally meet?"

The brunette was really enjoying the role of storyteller, which was quite cute, in her opinion. And the girl's enthusiastic energy certainly made the tale that much more engrossing.

"One _fateful_ night, Yang spotted Blake on the opposite side of the quad - the quad filled with partying college students celebrating the end of semester at the Vale Bash Concert. She didn't know her name so she couldn't call out, not like Blake would have heard over the noise of the people and the band. So, she did what any _normal_ person would do and…"

She could tell from Ruby's look that the girl wanted her to try to guess the answer. Which, knowing Yang, was remarkably obvious.

"She ran after her," she answered, earning a nod in response.

"She ran after her!" Ruby exclaimed, throwing her hands up in emphasis. "She's pushing through the crowd, getting drinks spilled on her, tripping over someone's foot and getting grass stains on her knees...even taking an elbow to the nose!"

"Ouch…"

"Yeah...but! She caught up to Blake. She caught her by the arm and turned her around -"

It may have been dumb, but she held her breath while waiting for the words that would come next - eager to know what simple words had sparked the relationship the two girls carried on to this day.

"And she said...'I don't know you - and you don't know me - but I think we should know each other.'"

A snort of amusement escaped her.

"How eloquent," she said with a chuckle, able to picture the entire thing. "And Blake said yes to that?"

"Well...just when Blake was about to answer, Yang got hit in the head by a volleyball - it knocked her out cold."

"You're kidding me."

She glanced sideways to make sure the girl wasn't making this up, only to find Ruby openly laughing now.

"I'm so serious! Knocked her clean out. But when she came to, she was in the clinic on campus and guess who was still there with her?"

She had to smile as she answered, warm fuzzy feelings expanding in her chest.

"Blake was there."

"Yup! Blake was sitting by the bed reading a book while waiting for Yang to wake up. And when she did, Blake set her book down, leaned over, and said...'You're right, I think we should know each other. I think we should know each other really well.'"

Ruby nodded her head once more with finality as her words trailed off, the story completed. It left her with a pleasant glow - like the one immediately after reading a fairy tale, only with the knowledge that this one had happened in real life.

True romance - love at first sight - happily ever after - the cheesy romantic comedy - it had actually happened for Yang and Blake. And it was plain to see how happy the two were, even after all this time. It was amazing really - how a few chance meetings could combine to create something so magical...

"And the rest is history!" Ruby exclaimed after a few seconds of silence had passed - the brunette then jumping back out in front of her to resume skating backwards (or showing off, as she had decided).

"So, do you wanna try skating faster?"

"I don't know if that's a good idea…" she replied warily, trying to ignore the silver eyes sparkling with hope.

"Come on, I'll guide you!" Ruby reassured her, reaching out and grabbing both of her hands.

She immediately pulled her hands away, suddenly extremely self-aware of who might be watching their interaction and how the gesture could be misread.

"Ruby…"

But the brunette wasn't disheartened in the slightest by her reaction. Instead, the girl just reached out and took her hands again.

"Relax, Weiss - it's normal for people to hold hands while ice skating. Just look around!"

Following Ruby's advice, she turned to each side and saw that many other people were indeed holding hands - some clearly couples, but others doing the same Ruby was trying to do - one person pulling the other or just offering support so someone wouldn't fall down.

Resolved to being incorrect, she dropped her resistance and allowed Ruby to draw her hands closer - the brunette grinning from her most recent success at convincing Weiss to go along with something new or unusual.

Squeezing her hands tightly, Ruby skated skillfully backwards - steadily gaining momentum while pulling Weiss along the ice with her. Every so often, the brunette would turn to look over her shoulder to make sure she was guiding them in the right direction, but otherwise the girl refused to stop grinning at her.

It was no surprise to her that Ruby enjoyed traveling at a fast speed far more than the sluggish pace they'd been maintaining. But they were now going faster than she'd ever skated before - sliding smoothly along while the ice disappeared underneath their skates. All she had to do was make sure she kept her ankles straight and they moved seamlessly together - Ruby pushing harder and harder to pick up even more speed.

When Ruby smiled at her, she let out a laugh - finding that she was actually enjoying herself immensely. The laugh only made Ruby's smile grow larger as they flew around the rink, swiftly passing the slower skaters who were sticking near the outer wall.

It was invigorating...blazing around the ice while the cool air drifted up from beneath their feet. With their surroundings becoming nothing more than a blur, it was easy to imagine it was only the two of them there today. And with Ruby looking at her so intently...

In the blink of an eye, she let out a gasp when another skater unexpectedly fell down directly behind Ruby. There was no time to get out words of warning, but her expression must have been enough for Ruby to sense something was wrong. At the very last second, the brunette caught sight of the man and swerved harshly to the side in an attempt to avert him.

And they did manage to avoid crashing into him, but Ruby ended up sticking a skate in the ice - the abrupt stop sending her falling backward, their joined hands taking Weiss down right after her.

She heard Ruby hit the unrelenting ground with a crack - right before she landed directly on top of the girl, forcing a loud 'oomf' of air from the brunette's lungs.

Pressing her hands into the ice on either side of Ruby's head, she pushed herself to her hands and knees so as not to crush the poor girl. Fear immediately put a vice grip around her heart when she found the girl's face tilted away from her, eyes closed.

"Ruby?"

Panic coursed through her veins as she pressed one ear to Ruby's chest, struggling to hear any sound from within. Only after hearing the steady pounding of a heartbeat did she straighten up, just in time to see silver eyes fluttering open.

Letting out the breath she hadn't realized she'd been holding, she felt hot tears sting at her eyes as adrenaline forced itself to the surface.

For just that instant, she's never felt so powerless..and now she could only watch in relief while Ruby blinked repeatedly.

"Are you ok?"

She looked over at the strange male voice - finding the man who had fallen looking at them in concern.

"I'm fine…" Ruby mumbled with a small wave before closing her eyes and lifting a hand to the back of her head.

"Ow…"

Deciding that she needed to get Ruby somewhere safe, she tried pushing herself up to her feet - only for long arms to wrap around her shoulders and lock her in place.

"Ruby?" she asked, looking down to find the girl still had her eyes closed.

"I just want to stay here for a little while…" Ruby said quietly, not bothering to open her eyes.

"Ruby, we need to get you up," she replied forcefully, trying to wriggle her way out of the girl's arms to no avail. For someone who'd just crashed into the ice, the brunette was still surprisingly strong.

When Ruby said nothing in return, she relented, allowing the girl to pull her even closer - both of them now lying on the ice together. She could hear Ruby's steady breathing from this distance...taking comfort in the slow rise and fall of the girl's chest.

After a few moments, the brunette was the one who broke the silence.

"It's really cold...lying on ice…"

A disgruntled noise came out of her as she shoved herself to her feet - nearly losing her own balance but windmilling her arms to stay upright. Ruby giggled at her, although the sound was much less enthusiastic and bubbly than usual.

"Come here," she ordered, grabbing Ruby's hands and managing to pull the girl up without falling over herself.

Once off the ground, she gently held Ruby by the elbow and led them slowly over to the small latched door to exit the rink. Popping it open, she let Ruby step through first before following closely behind - retaking the girl's elbow and leading her towards the nearest empty bench.

Lacking some of her usual energy, Ruby sat down obediently when the seat was pointed out to her.

"God, you probably have a concussion…" she fretted, completely unsure of what she should do now.

Her gut instinct told her to call a doctor - or better yet, buy a doctor. Maybe several doctors. A hospital even.

A small groan brought her attention screaming back to the brunette, who was now touching the back of her head gingerly.

She leaned forward, resting one hand on the girl's shoulder as she looked intently into silver eyes.

"Are you ok? Should I go get you some -"

"Ice?" the girl cut in with a grin.

She laughed while Ruby giggled, relieved that the brunette was at least still behaving the same after such a fall.

"I think I'm going to have a huge bump on my head…"

"Here, let me feel."

Swiping Ruby's hand away, she put her fingers lightly to the spot the girl had just been touching. There was a bump - already growing.

Looking down, she discovered that she was practically sitting in Ruby's lap - silver eyes watching her intently, their breathing slowing down in anticipation of...something.

Dropping her hand, she moved away to a more respectable distance.

"You fell pretty hard…" she said, feeling a flush appear on her cheeks.

"Yeah, I kinda did," Ruby replied, still staring at her.

"It's going to hurt tomorrow."

The comment made the girl laugh, a comforting sound.

"But it hurts today!"

She had to shake her head at the comment, but smiled at the brunette's continued sense of humor.

"We should get you home now though."

"Noooo…" Ruby instantly whined, grabbing onto her hands to prevent her from moving away. "I'm fine, I swear. I don't want to make you leave already!"

"Ruby, did you not just hear how hard you hit the ice?" she asked, grimacing as she remembered the sound herself.

"I have a really thick skull!" the brunette replied, grinning a little too proudly at that comment. "Really, I'll be fine!"

Biting her lip, she considered her options.

She could either cave and they could continue skating even though Ruby had just taken the fall of the century, during which time she would be freaking out that something else might happen. Or she could do the responsible thing and get Ruby somewhere safe and warm where no further harm could befall the precious girl.

Of course, Ruby would refuse to leave if Weiss said it was for her own benefit, but maybe…

"Actually, I'm feeling a little tired too," she said, her words temporarily creasing Ruby's brow in confusion before a miniscule hint of relief appeared in silver eyes.

"Oh, well if you're tired, we can go...don't want to wear you out!"

Smiling at the girl, she couldn't help feeling incredibly lucky to have someone like Ruby in her life. Even when the brunette was in need of something, Ruby put her happiness first.

But even if she would have liked to continue their evening out together, it wasn't worth risking Ruby's continued well being. Not by a long shot.

Opposite of how they'd started their evening, she was the one to quickly remove Ruby's skates before pulling off her own and going to collect their shoes from the front counter.

"Come on, Turbo," she said after they'd re-donned their normal attire, linking arms with the girl and pulling her back to her feet. "Let's get you home."

"They call me Turbo...Ruby Turbo…." the brunette growled in a gravelly voice on their way out - making their way slowly to the vehicle waiting outside in the cold.

Shortly thereafter, they were back in the elevator of Ruby's building, waiting to be let out on the fifth floor. She'd insisted upon seeing Ruby all the way to the girl's door - still worried that the girl might have a possible concussion even after being assured multiple times that it was nothing that serious.

But she didn't feel like she could be consoled by mere words right now.

When they stepped into the hallway and she saw that it was empty, she reached down and took Ruby's hand for the brief walk to the door - the small contact sending her heart off to the races while simultaneously stilling some of her nerves.

As long as Ruby's hand was warm…as long Ruby's hand was within her own...things would be ok.

"I had a really great time...minus the tremendous fall," the girl said quietly as they reached the door to the apartment - lifting one hand to touch the bump on her head only to flinch again.

She brushed the girl's hand away and felt again for the bump with her own fingers, frowning when she found it.

It felt a little larger now, but thankfully hadn't grown alarmingly large.

"You should be more careful," she whispered, the chastise coming out more like a plea than anything else. If something happened to Ruby...

"I really should be…" the girl responded just as quietly, gazing at her intently while she absentmindedly ran her fingers through brunette hair - enjoying the soft feeling on her fingertips while caught in a silver gaze.

Her heart sped up from the way Ruby's eyes were fixated upon her - unwavering and eager. Desire was blooming within her, growing to match what was already plainly visible in seas of silver. With one hand still threaded in Ruby's hair, she knew that she could easily pull the brunette forward, just a few inches closer and they…

The door beside them suddenly opened - the abrupt movement making her jump backward in surprise.

"I thought I heard voices!" Yang said with a smile after sticking her head out into the hall and spotting them. "Glad you made it back!"

Ruby smiled down at her, disappointment surely readable in both of their expressions.

"Come on, Rubster - we _might _have ordered dessert and there just _might_ be some left for you."

The news brought a happy squeal of joy out of Ruby's lips before the girl turned back to her with shimmering eyes.

"Thank you for coming out with me tonight, Weiss. I'll talk to you really soon, ok?"

When she nodded, Ruby wrapped her in a quick hug before disappearing happily inside - the moment ending before she could even react to the girl's embrace.

Lost in thought, she watched the girl run through the living room and disappear through the doorway to the kitchen to claim whatever sweets were leftover.

"You two have fun?"

The question brought her eyes back to Yang. The blonde was leaning casually against the doorframe, arms crossed over her chest with a smile on her lips, but something in the girl's lilac eyes suggested there was much more to the question than what met the eye.

And there was a hint of suspicion in the tone which she didn't appreciate very much at all.

"Yes, we did," she responded calmly - turning to walk away only to pause and turn back to the blonde.

"She...she fell and hit her head pretty hard -"

"How did that happen?" Yang asked, eyes immediately filled with concern as she straightened from her laid back posture. "Ruby's a great skater!"

"Someone else fell and she tried to avoid hitting them...could you just keep an eye on her for me?"

Receiving a nod in response, she made to leave only to turn back again.

"And she could have a concussion, so if you notice her behaving strangely -"

"Relax, Weiss," Yang interrupted her, voice reassuring. "I don't know if you've noticed yet, but Ruby's kinda a klutz. I've taken care of my fair share of injuries."

"Right - I wasn't suggesting - I just wanted to make you aware," she finished, taking the cue that it was time to take her leave.

Receiving another singular nod, she turned and walked quickly back to the elevator, hearing the apartment door close behind her.

Yang might be right - she should relax. The blonde had been taking care of Ruby since they were children, what made her think the girl had suddenly become incapable now?

She hadn't meant to inadvertently offend Yang, but that didn't mean she couldn't be worried for the brunette's wellbeing, as well. She and Ruby were...close friends...and she was allowed to be concerned for her.

She was allowed to want to take care of her.

She just...wasn't allowed to actually take care of her. She would have to settle for monitoring via text messages and maybe a phone call later tonight.

Maybe that should have been acceptable...but it didn't feel like nearly enough.


	18. Chapter 18

**Thank you everyone for the support and reviews for this story! We still have quite a ways to go, so hang in there!**

* * *

What are you doing, Weiss?

The question had become a daily occurrence ever since she and Ruby had first kissed - popping into existence the instant she opened her eyes each morning and lingering in the back of her mind until she fell asleep at night.

What was she thinking?

This was a horrible path she was traveling - one that led directly to a dead end. And there was no way to slow her speed - the horrible conclusion rushing towards her at an incredible pace. The calendar was turning its pages more rapidly than she could ever wish for, marching her stubbornly forward no matter how hard she dug in her heels.

No good would come of this. None at all.

And she _knew_ that. She recognized the situation for what it was…the hopeless endeavor of a fool - a fool who was, for the first time in their life, experiencing the budding thoughts of romance.

But _knowing_ she was a fool didn't stop her from messaging Ruby anyway - from giggling at the girl's goofy responses, from desiring the brunette's company, from craving her presence. Something about Ruby pulled her in like a magnetic force, never allowing her to leave the girl's orbit, no matter how loudly her brain screamed at her to stay away.

If anything, she was only growing _closer_ to the girl. She'd already become so dependent on Ruby's constant uplifting chatter that she went nowhere without her phone - not even when simply walking around her own home. The idea of missing a few lines of communication was painful, especially when each moment they had left together was growing more and more precious by the second - every minute lost being one they would never get back.

And, she had the unenviable ability to calculate _exactly_ how much time they had remaining in this blissful existence - down to the minute.

It wouldn't end well...she'd only end up hurting Ruby and herself...but those thoughts instantly disappeared every time she saw Ruby smile, or heard her laugh, or breathed in the fragrance of rose scented shampoo...

Or heard the now familiar buzz of her phone as a new message arrived.

Holding the device up to her eyes to read the latest text, she grinned at the girl's superfluous use of exclamation points to describe the chocolate chip cookie that had just been consumed with lunch.

A cookie...seriously, the girl was easy to please.

Thankfully, that also meant it was easy for her to come up with ways to spoil the brunette.

If it was cookies Ruby wanted...then cookies she would get, by the boatload, if she wanted them.

After replying that she happened to know where to find the very _best_ cookies in all of Vale, she glanced up from her phone - looking around for a second in confusion before realizing that her feet had guided her into the downstairs living room. Absentmindedly walking the house with her nose glued to her phone tended to result in her ending up in areas she hardly ventured to - the living room being one of them.

The grand room was hardly ever used - for when there were already separate spaces designated as a sitting room, meeting room, and common area, what specific activity would ever need to occur in this room?

From the name, she supposed that this was where they were supposed to _live_, to spend time together as a family and create lasting memories.

If that truly was the purpose, then it was little wonder why she had no memories here.

It was a shame though...it truly was a beautiful space. Even lack of use couldn't reduce its magnificence in the slightest.

The high, vaulted ceilings were crafted of dark wood and painted in beautiful shades of blue and green with veins of gold running throughout. Nestled amongst the creative designs were tiny sparkles that glittered appealingly when the light caught them just right.

The gold was gold leaf, she'd been told many times, and the sparkles...those were real diamonds.

'The million-Lien ceiling,' she'd heard it called. Of course, the jewels alone cost far more than that, but the name was still fitting. In its opulence, it watched over the various dark mahogany furniture placed aesthetically upon plush area rugs. The light silver upholstery on the chairs still looked brand new, and the various coffee tables and cabinets had not a single speck of dust upon them.

It wasn't often that she took the time to appreciate the craftsmanship and detail that had gone into creating the place she called home. To her, it had always seemed less special because they had simply hired the best interior designers across the globe to shape every room, but if she took a step back - separating herself from her general disdain for money - she could see the care and skill that had gone into every carving, every brushstroke, every diamond's placement...

Hearing noise through the doorway at one end of the living room, she decided to go investigate while still waiting for Ruby's (hopefully) enthusiastic response to her subtle invitation to go to a bakery together.

When she stepped out of the living room into the main entrance of the mansion, she immediately wished she'd walked the other way.

"Oh, hey Weiss! How're you doing, sweetie?"

Cringing at the term of endearment, she fought to keep her nose from scrunching in distaste.

"Hello, Jezebel…"

The woman (or girl, more accurately) was always overzealously friendly to her, just as all of her father's...muses...had been. Calling her 'sweetie,' 'sugar,' 'honey'...complimenting her hair or outfits...they were the epitome of fake. They wanted nothing more than to ingratiate themselves to her.

But with Jezebel, she'd never been able to tell if the cheerfulness was fake or genuine - it seemed like the woman was too dumb to pretend for any significant amount of time...but maybe that was all part of Jezebel's genius?

"How's the wedding planning going?"

She stifled the urge to roll her eyes at the young woman's huge smile.

Jezebel never seemed to understand that she didn't want to stop and chat - she didn't want to be best friends, friends, or even acquaintances.

But not liking someone didn't give her the excuse to be rude. Plus, saying something snippy would hardly be worth it, _especially_ if word got back to her father of the infraction...which it undoubtedly would with the way Jezebel blabbered about everything...

"Oh, you know, just waiting for it to be over," she responded half heartedly, taking a step towards the stairs as if she might be able to slip away unnoticed.

"I know the feeling!"

Pausing her retreat, she stared at the oblivious smile in confusion.

_How_ could the woman possibly know what she was talking about? To her knowledge, Jezebel had never been married before…nor was the girl helping with any of the current planning...

Shaking her head, she quickly wrote it off as just another misguided attempt to 'bond' or whatever the woman was trying to accomplish with this rather pointless conversation.

"What are the bags for?" she asked, diverting attention away from her by motioning towards the suitcases piled by the front door.

"Oh! Your father and I are going on a business trip!" the woman responded cheerfully, easily filling the massive room with her naive smile.

"Funny, I didn't think business trips were that exciting," she replied dully, the comment succeeding in putting a small dent in that outrageous grin.

"Oh, well, it'll just be nice to get away from Vale for a little while. It can be quite...stifling...here, don't you think?"

Impressed by the proper use of the word 'stifling,' she nodded her head in understanding - the gesture unfortunately prompting a continuance to the rationale.

"Plus, there'll be so many new sights to see - and things to try! We're going to try all the best restaurants. You've heard that Atlas has some of the most expensive fish restaurants in the world, right? I know your dad doesn't like fish _that_ much, but it would be a shame to-"

Tuning out the words, she nodded every few seconds as if she was still paying attention.

Was it possible to turn off the woman's words once they'd begun? It was as if she'd just stumbled upon the live reading of Jezebel's personal diary - something she would never _ever_ want to read.

How did her father stand the mindless rambling? He was hardly a patient man...and certainly didn't tolerate stupidity.

She could only surmise that Jezebel _didn't _speak to him like this - which was why the girl felt the need to spew all of this information to her.

Thankfully, she hadn't been pacing downstairs for no reason - she had to leave relatively soon for an appointment...if she could survive until that time.

Forced to stand there until then, she listened to the girl swoon with excitement, wrapped up in a fictional romance fit for a romance novel. It was a little sad, actually, to hear how smitten the young woman had become with her father - who, to the best of her knowledge, had not one romantic bone in his body, much less the capability to love someone freely.

Did Jezebel actually believe she wasn't going to be tossed aside just like the rest of them? Did she believe she was the only one who'd had the pleasure of going on a 'business trip' with the elder Schnee?

How many others had Weiss stumbled upon in the same situation - bubbling with joy as they prepared for their golden adventure?

The woman couldn't _possibly_ think that this 'relationship' had any future. There was no way her father would actually leave her mother for someone like her.

Her mother was the only child and sole inheritor of the largest shipping company in Remnant - her importance to the Schnee family's continued dominance was paramount. Her father would never dream of severing that relationship - just like her mother could never dream of leaving without leaving her claim to wealth behind. For it was only through their marriage that she _could_ inherit her family's fortunes to begin with.

They were locked together - bound to each other not by love, but by money, power, and duty.

Such was her own fate with Cardin...to be forced together out of strategic political connections rather than deep rooted feelings of love.

But...what if her father actually _did _love Jezebel, as the girl seemed to believe? What if the pair were meant to be together? Like the moon and the stars, what if they were fated to be?

Would he risk everything for the chance to be only with her?

Would he put the family name on the line...for love?

The question was discouragingly easy to answer.

He wouldn't.

Never in a thousand years would he even consider such a proposal. He would likely even laugh at the mere suggestion.

Even if he _did_ love Jezebel, which would be impossible due to his lack of a beating heart, he was a Schnee first and foremost - and protecting the family name came first.

The family name would _always_ come first.

The sound of heels clicking against marble suddenly drifted to her ears, turning both their heads at the same time as her mother strolled into the foyer, purse in hand and ready to leave.

"Hello, Jezebel," the woman said in a frosty tone, her expression anything but hospitable towards the young woman.

The glare her mother reserved for the girl was truly fearful - making the glares Weiss normally earned for displaying poor manners look like glances of unadulterated affection.

"Hello, Mrs. Schnee," Jezebel responded respectfully, ducking her head in deference while assuming a much more serious demeanor in a matter of seconds.

For a brief moment, she wondered if the young woman actually felt...guilty...about the situation.

Did Jezebel feel badly for the stress her mere existence thrust upon her parent's relationship? Or did the girl somehow manage to avoid confronting the side effects of her actions?

Being so caught up in the thrill of the moment, maybe Jezebel was enjoying herself too much to see what her choices were doing to those around her...what situations they were being forced into.

"Weiss, we should be leaving now."

Nodding her head, she gave Jezebel one last parting glance before turning and following her mother outside - receiving the jacket handed to her by a butler and slipping it on before the chill could sneak into her bones.

There was already a car waiting out front, the driver standing at attention beside the passenger door.

There was always a heightened amount of attention given to her mother by their employees, whether from fear or immense respect, she didn't know for sure. But it was evident in the way their postures stiffened as the woman approached, their breathing slowing as they struggled to avoid making a mistake.

Even if the employees thought she was a spoiled brat, at least they didn't treat her as if she might tear their head off for forgetting to wipe the car door of fingerprints.

They clearly knew who had the power to fire them on the spot and who did not.

Following her mother into the vehicle, the two of them sat in stony silence for several seconds as the limousine pulled through the gates of the property and onto the main roads.

They hadn't exactly spoken since the blowup - exchanging nothing more than pleasantries or nods of acknowledgement when passing in the halls.

When she thought about it, it wasn't much different from how they'd always interacted...but there was now a dark cloud hovering just between them - always out of reach, but never out of sight.

"Your father will be back well before the wedding, in case you were worried," her mother finally said, breaking the silence in the vehicle.

"I wasn't worried," she responded easily.

Honestly, she probably wouldn't even notice if the man was there or not. Nor did she care if he decided to skip for 'personal' reasons.

"Fool...scheduling a 'business' trip so close to the big day…" her mother muttered, the words directed not to her, but to anyone who would listen.

There was anger in the tone, a deep seated resentfulness that would likely never wash out - a stain left by shattered dreams and a neverending stream of adultery.

It only took the beginnings of the thought 'what if Ruby...' for her to feel some of her mother's jealousy, anger, and sadness.

What if Ruby looked at everyone but her...what if Ruby wanted to be with anyone but her...and didn't even bother to try to hide that fact?

...for the first time in her life, she could almost empathize with what her mother had gone through, was going through.

"Well, she did manage to use the word 'stifling' correctly, so maybe there's hope for her yet."

Her mother let out a loud laugh at the comment, the sound surprising and jarring at the same time. She stared in amazement at the sight - the woman actually with a smile upon her face for the briefest of instants. And she was...beautiful.

It was gone just as suddenly as it appeared, replaced by the polished, cold exterior the woman had likely spent decades perfecting.

But, for that one moment, she'd seen a side of her mother she'd never known existed. It was the tiniest ray of sunshine filtering through cloudy skies - it was the type of woman her mother could have been, had she been born under a different name.

Unfortunately, some cloudy skies were destined to remain. There was little that could be done now to wipe her mother's slate clean…too ingrained was the pain, suffering, hatred...

She could only hope and pray she would not fall victim to the same dismal weather.

They spent the rest of the drive in a more comfortable silence - silent not because they didn't want to speak to each other, but because they had nothing to say.

Arriving at the destination several minutes later, she followed her mother obediently into the small boutique. Once inside, she was immediately whisked into one of the changing rooms where an attendant began issuing directions while raising and lowering her arms by force.

It was only a short amount of time before she was standing on an elevated section of the showroom floor, very much understanding how a doll must feel when being dressed by its owner.

Before being ordered to stand still, she looked briefly around the interior of the store. Large mirrors standing nearly ten feet tall took up an entire semicircle of her vision, while the other half was occupied by the racks stuffed with dresses in the display area. Several comfortable white chairs and couches were placed near her, creating a viewing area where an audience was carefully watching from.

The rest of the store was currently empty, save for a few other attendants and her mother. There was also the seamstress moving around her in circles, poking and prodding every so often while muttering measurements to herself - the words muffled due to the pins held in the corner of the woman's mouth.

As any good doll would do, she remained as motionless as possible - but allowed her mind to drift freely in the momentary peace.

Realizing she hadn't had the opportunity to check her phone for any messages from Ruby in quite some time, she wondered what the girl was up to right now, at this very moment.

Knowing the brunette, she was likely avoiding some sort of responsibility while consuming copious amounts of sugar.

The thought brought a small smile to her lips, imagining the girl stuffing cookies into her mouth while her schoolwork sat unattended to.

When would they see each other next? She'd had an incredible amount of fun ice skating, although the end of their evening had been a tad disappointing. Thankfully, Yang had followed through on her promise to look after Ruby and had, as Ruby put it, 'watched her like a drill sergeant on a power trip.'

The brunette also said that the bump on the back of her head was going away, but that was something she would believe only when she got to feel for herself.

The sound of her phone ringing brought her out of her thoughts with a jolt, turning instinctively towards the source of the sound. She earned a needle in the thigh for the sudden movement, but managed to locate her abandoned phone resting on one of the empty chairs with the rest of her personal items.

"Would you like me to get that for you?" one of the attendants asked as the ringing continued.

"Yes, please," she replied, excitement growing as she thought of who it might be.

The woman walked over and retrieved the device before bringing it over to her. Looking at the caller ID, she tried to hide the smile threatening to appear as she answered.

"Hello?"

"Hey, Weiss! Sorry I didn't respond earlier! I just got out of practice and was wondering if you wanted to get lunch with me?"

"Right now? Sorry...I'm out shopping with my mother…" she answered, utterly disappointed at missing an opportunity to spend time with Ruby.

"Oh, that's ok! It was worth a shot."

"How about dinner tomorrow?" she asked quickly - knowing she needed to get in the invitation now before Ruby moved onto a completely different subject. "I think we still need to try that taco place."

This time she did smile as she held the phone several inches from her ear - the sound of Ruby's loud squeal still reaching her perfectly.

"Weiss, you're the absolute best! Meet at my place at six?"

"Sure, I'll see you then."

"Oh! And what's the name of that cookie place you were talking about?" Ruby suddenly asked, the girl having a penchant for extending a conversation past its expiration date. "Is it Cookie Express?"

"Nope," she replied with a grin, pleased to have some knowledge the brunette didn't know.

"Pastry Emporium?"

"Try again."

"The Sweet Room? Snickerdoodlery? Cookie Crumble? Sweet Tooth Sweets? Grandma's Kitchen? The Cooling Rack? CinnaMan?"

"Wha - no, none of those!" she said in shock, grinning at the giggle on the other end of the line. "How many bakeries do you know?"

"Those are just the _cookie_ ones - ask me about cake places!" Ruby answered with another giggle. "But I can't wait to try this super secret place of yours! See you soon! Mwuah!"

She flushed at what could only be described as a kissing sound as the call disconnected.

The place she had in mind had nowhere near as creative a name as the ones Ruby had just listed, but that didn't make it any less incredible.

Best of all, she was absolutely certain Ruby would have never been there before. For some reason, she didn't see the brunette frequenting any eatery that routinely used gold and silver as decorations.

Handing the phone back to the waiting attendant, she straightened her posture once more and turned back to the mirrors in front of her. The seamstress took her silent cue and restarted her work immediately.

"Plans tomorrow?" her mother asked from behind her, the tone nonchalant, but any question from the woman was clearly an attempt to pry.

"Yes, with an old friend from school. She's been overseeing an extension of her family's business in Mistral for quite a while, but is back in town for a short time."

The lie rolled off her tongue fluidly, easily scooped up by her mother - who nodded her head in approval.

"It's good for you to reconnect with classmates - their parents sent them to Vale Academy for a reason."

She gritted her teeth at the comment, which was clearly an unspoken insult directed towards those of little money who were forced to attend the lesser schools.

"Take in just a few inches here…" the seamstress muttered near her right side, the woman too engrossed in the task at hand to notice their conversation.

"You might need to lose some more weight before the wedding," her mother commented.

Merely nodding her head, she issued no words in response.

It would be useless to point out that she was already quite thin for her height. But losing more weight shouldn't be much of an issue...she'd been finding it difficult to eat recently, as it was. A self-imposed wedding diet would be the perfect excuse for the nearly untouched plates of food she kept sending back to the kitchen.

"And...perfect."

Glancing to her side, she watched the seamstress straighten and step away with a grand flourish, spinning her around to be viewed by her expectant audience.

The women in attendance let out 'ooh's and 'ahh's at her appearance, while her mother nodded her head in acceptance.

"What do you think? Don't you just love it?" the store's owner gushed towards her, stepping up beside her and turning her gently back towards the massive mirrors before stepping out of view.

The dress was beautiful - a strapless, mermaid style gown that clung to her waist and hips before falling into a long, draping train. The scalloped neckline was trimmed in exquisitely hand sewn lace. The hem at the bottom also featured a scalloped design, rising and falling in small waves rather than running a straight edge across. Most of the bodice and the bottom inches of the skirt were accented with more meticulous lace patterns - the incredible intricacy likely the reason why the dress had taken months to be hand stitched for her.

It was absolutely stunning - one of the most beautiful gowns she'd ever seen, but…who was this girl staring back at her?

Maybe it was the contrast between the pure white wedding gown and her complete lack of joviality. Maybe it was the dress which should have brought a smile to her face with the promise of love it entailed, but left her expression impassive, at best.

For the first time, she realized just how unhappy she looked.

She realized just how unhappy she _was_.

Tears stung her eyes, but she quickly pushed those feelings away, trying to swallow the lump that had just appeared in her throat. Forcing a smile, she nodded her head once before saying the words everyone so badly wanted to hear.

"Yes, I love it."


	19. Chapter 19

**I love hearing from you guys, and what you think of the story and the characters. By now, hopefully you are seeing the growth from where we were at the beginning to where we are now. I guess there's only...ten chapters left - yikes! **

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Inside the cabin of the fleet of vehicles her family maintained was a small drawer...nothing more than a two inch metal indentation, really. There was a small lid that flipped down and covered the entire square securely, causing it to nearly disappear into the surface it was hidden in.

These spaces were probably meant to be some sort of ashtray, but because no one in her family smoked, they were never used for anything at all.

But they'd turned out to be the perfect place to store her engagement ring whenever she visited Ruby.

Flipping the lid shut with a sharp snap, she rubbed gently at her barren finger while the vehicle slid to a stop in front of the familiar apartment building. Excitement was beginning to stir within her as the time drew nearer and nearer for her to see Ruby again.

The brunette had been the only thing on her mind since the two had gotten off the phone yesterday with plans for dinner.

After waiting impatiently for the driver to open the door for her, she stepped out of the vehicle and quickly crossed the sidewalk to the front door.

It was only when her hand was reaching for the handle that she noticed a small speck of white land harmlessly upon her finger, the single pinprick of cold disappearing a moment later. Glancing back towards the street, she saw a puff of air leave her mouth combined with the beginnings of evening flurries - the tiny dots of white falling to the ground before immediately disappearing underfoot. Pulling her jacket a little tighter, she turned and headed inside.

Normally, she couldn't wait for winter to be over - for the bone chilling cold to disappear and make way for the budding warmth of spring - but this year she wanted nothing more than for these frozen days to drag on forever.

Because, no matter how cold it was, it never seemed to be that bad when Ruby was nearby.

A few minutes later, she was raising her hand to knock on the apartment door - the sharp raps echoing in the empty hallway.

A small, happy bark from inside brought a smile to her face, letting her know that Zwei was at home and excited to see her. Hearing the sound of footsteps accompanied by paws move towards the door, she held her breath while waiting for Ruby to appear - waiting to see that trademark smile, that mess of short brown hair, those incredible molten metal eyes…

Her breath left her in a disappointed whoosh of air when the door finally opened.

"Oh, hi, Blake."

She tried not to sound too disappointed, but she was crushed that her reunitement with Ruby had been delayed by a few more seconds. Kneeling down, she scratched Zwei's ears while the happy dog propped both paws on top of her knee, tongue lolling out to one side as his fluffy tail wagged happily back and forth.

"Hey, Weiss. You and Ruby going on another date?" the girl asked warmly.

"D-date? No! No - we're just getting dinner," she responded, standing quickly and nervously tucking a strand of stray hair behind her left ear - trying to appear calm no matter how frazzled the term had just made her.

"Relax...I didn't mean anything by it..." Blake replied, although now the girl's intelligent amber eyes were flashing with interest. "It looks like you're missing something, by the way."

Holding up her left hand, Blake tapped her ring finger meaningfully.

She could feel herself panic as amber eyes morphed from mere interest to intense curiosity in the fraction of a second. Glancing down at her empty hand, she turned her gaze away and feigned a cool attitude.

"Oh...it's being cleaned right now," she responded casually, resisting the urge to hide her empty hand - knowing that the motion would just give away her lie.

Not that it would have mattered since Blake didn't seem to believe her anyway - the girl raising one eyebrow in response to her answer.

"You probably need to have it cleaned all the time, right? Wouldn't want something so valuable to get...tarnished."

"Absolutely," she replied with a forced smile, trying not to read anymore into that comment than necessary.

When she saw Ruby stumble into the living room over Blake's shoulder, her smile became true in a heartbeat, relief flooding through her at the sight of her salvation from this unfortunate conversation.

"Hey Weiss!" the girl called out to her before practically falling on top of a pair of shoes, Zwei running over and prancing playfully around the girl's feet. "Sorry, I just need a...aha! Jacket."

Blake stepped out of the doorway when Ruby rushed over, giving the two of them another curious look before turning to walk back into the apartment.

"You two have fun," the writer called back to them with a friendly wave. "Weiss, it was good to see you again."

"Good to see you too…" she replied, and uneasy feeling settling in her stomach as she wondered what the girl might be thinking about the two of them right now.

But those thoughts evaporated when Ruby grabbed her arm and practically dragged her back to the elevators - jamming a thumb into the button and hopping up and down impatiently while waiting for one to arrive.

"Ruby, what's the hur-"

Her question never made it completely out of her mouth...because as soon as the elevator doors opened, she was pushed inside as Ruby's soft lips met hers.

Before she could even grasp what was happening, it was over - the doors had closed and the brunette was pulling away with a gigantic grin on her face.

"Wh-what...Ruby, what are you doing?" she half whispered, half scolded, looking around as if someone in the empty elevator might have witnessed what just happened. She touched two fingers lightly to her lips in surprise, the tingling sensation where Ruby's lips had just been lingering far beyond the kiss as blood rushed to her cheeks.

"Well...uh…I kind of figured since Yang interrupted us last time...I could have one kiss at the beginning and one kiss at the end today..."

For the bold move Ruby had just made, the girl was now acting surprisingly shy.

The only response she could give was to stare - thunderstruck by what had just occurred and Ruby's subsequent reaction to it.

It was exceptionally difficult to pinpoint how she felt right now - but it was definitely not upset, or angry.

Surprised, overjoyed, excited...those might be more accurate.

"Come on, dolt," she finally muttered as the elevator doors reopened, leading the way outside with Ruby in tow, the girl steadily regaining confidence and energy with each passing second.

For some reason, expecting a kiss at the end of their time together today made her extraordinarily nervous, but she couldn't let Ruby catch on to that fact...she needed to maintain her poise, her composure.

It was just a kiss...a kiss...there was no reason to get all worked up over a...wonderful, amazing kiss...

"Are you ready for swanky bear tacos?" she asked in an effort to distract herself, raising an eyebrow when Ruby burst out laughing at the question.

"Swanky bear tacos? That sounds like we're gonna eat bears!" the brunette giggled, turning her cheeks rosy red in embarrassment.

"Well, if this place is as greasy as advertised, it wouldn't surprise me," she retorted with a smile, gesturing for Ruby to get into the vehicle before she followed suit.

It wasn't long before they'd arrived at their destination - the address of which Ruby had provided to the driver from memory. She could honestly say she'd never been to this part of the city - where the houses were rundown and the businesses were dingy with metal locking gates for the windows and doors.

But the appearance of the neighborhood was the last thought on her mind very soon.

"Oh dear lord…"

Those were the first words out of her mouth when she stepped out of the vehicle, followed closely by the sound of Ruby's giggles.

"That's one big, swanky bear, ain't it?"

"That is one giant teddy bear…" she replied, staring at it in bewilderment.

The statue towered nearly two stories, making it taller than any of the surrounding buildings. It was painted a common brown that was beginning to chip and flake off in many places, revealing the true gray plaster underneath.

Very clearly a teddy bear...what was not clear was why it even existed in this place, where there seemed to be nothing else of interest.

"Wait...Ruby, where do we eat?" she asked, seeing nothing but the teddy bear towering before her.

"Right there!"

Following the girl's point, she felt her skin crawl in horror when her eyes located their destination.

"Ruby...that's a shack, not a restaurant. The bear is ten times bigger than it!"

"Yeah, but...it smells so good!"

"'Teddy Bear Tacos?' Really?" she asked in disbelief, reading the small, crooked sign hung above the single door on the microscopic establishment.

Ruby merely giggled at her incredulity.

"It's clever, isn't it?"

Every instinct in her screamed to get the hell out of there - to grab Ruby and drag the girl to the nearest, most expensive restaurant she could find before gorging on exquisitely prepared cuisine.

But that's not what Ruby wanted to do so...health inspectors be damned.

"Alright, let's go," she said, walking towards the door so they wouldn't be standing out in the snow any longer. The ear splitting smile Ruby gave her was immediately worth her decision, although she was unsure how she'd feel about that in a few hours.

The inside was...cleaner than she imagined it would be, but somehow smaller than the outside implied. There was room for just two small, square tables - one situated on either side of the front door. Not six feet in front of them was the counter where they were apparently supposed to order their food.

The sprawling menu was written in what must be a child's handwriting upon a giant board taking up most of the wall above the food counter - filled with such options as tacos, hamburgers, and even a seafood pasta she would die before trying.

"I'm gonna get the tacos!" Ruby remarked from beside her, pointing towards the most prominent item on the menu. "What about you?"

"I think...the same…" she replied hesitantly. Tacos seemed like the safest bet in this...establishment.

"Alright! I'll order if you want to sit down," Ruby said with a wink before walking towards the counter, but Weiss grabbed her arm before she could get too far away. Not that anywhere would be too far away in this tiny place.

"What do you think you're doing? I'm buying dinner."

"Uh...but I'm the one who invited you! Inviter pays, remember?" Ruby replied with a grin.

"_Technically,_ you invited me to lunch, which I had to decline. Then _I _invited you to dinner," she pointed out, knowing that her logic was sound.

"I - uh...oh yeah…"

"Oh yeah," she mimicked with a grin when she felt Ruby relenting. "So, why don't you go find us a table? And one near the door, you know how I feel about being too far away from the exit."

Ruby giggled at her fake pretentious voice and gave an adorable play salute before pretending to search for the perfect place to sit.

She laughed as she watched the girl's antics before finally turned back towards the counter.

Taking a step closer, a young boy suddenly appeared in front of her. Dressed in casual jeans and a t-shirt, he was likely several years younger than her - young enough to question whether or not he was old enough to be working in the first place.

"What'll you have?" he asked, appearing disinterested in the answer before she could even provide it.

"Two of the...'taco meals' please," she replied, pointing towards the menu above them as if he could see.

The boy immediately shouted the order to the older gentleman behind him in the kitchen. The shout was entirely unnecessary...the man had surely heard her from this far away.

"Fifteen Lien," the boy said while the cook began throwing food around in various pans in the kitchen.

She blinked at the stated amount, hesitating for a split second before pulling the smallest bill from her wallet (which was _much_ more than fifteen Lien) and handing it over to him.

She would have been concerned that he'd run up the order incorrectly if he hadn't just shouted it in her face...so that must be the proper amount, right? Maybe his young age implied a lack of mathematical skills?

While counting out her change, he pulled two tall paper cups from beneath the counter and sat them down in front of her. Just as she was about to pick up the cups, fully prepared to ask what she was supposed to do with them, Ruby appeared beside her.

"I'll get the drinks!" the brunette said while grabbing the paper objects away from her. "What would you like?"

"Uh...Water will be fine…"

If she was going to be spending the entire night with food poisoning, she'd better get a head start on her fluids.

"Got it! Oh, and I found us an awesome table right by the door. Had to fight an old lady for it, but anything for you!" the brunette teased, pointing towards the table on the right side of the restaurant.

"You know how I love it when you fight old ladies for me," she replied just as playfully, earning a wink from the brunette before she jetted away towards the soda fountain Weiss had missed upon their entrance.

A plastic tray holding two plates piled with food was set on the counter a second later, catching her attention before she'd even had the opportunity to walk away. The boy slid the tray across to her and nodded his head at it when she stared in confusion. After a few seconds too long, she realized that she was supposed to take the food to the table herself, so carefully picked it up and walked over to the seats Ruby had reserved for them.

"Well...you are an amazingly cheap person to feed," she commented while setting the tray down at the same time Ruby placed the drink cups on the table.

"I've eaten cheaper food than this, even!"

"I don't know if that's something you should be so proud of…"

Ruby giggled while accepting her food, rubbing her hands together in avid anticipation - silver eyes sparkling with excitement.

On her side of the table, she eyed the food suspiciously.

It all _looked_ ok...and it _smelled_ good...but seriously, who served french fries with tacos?

"Too rough?" Ruby asked, drawing her attention back across the table where the brunette was watching her intently. "We can eat somewhere else if you're really worried about it. I don't mind at all!"

From Ruby's grin, she could tell that the girl really wouldn't mind if she asked to eat somewhere different. But she didn't want to be the one to spoil their fun, adventurous outing on account of not wanting food poisoning.

Picking up one of the tacos, she held the crispy shell delicately in both hands while trying not to let any of the fillings fall out (difficult to do when the shreds of lettuce were piled above the top of the tortilla shell). After taking one last sniff of the item, she looked back to Ruby.

"What happens when we get food poisoning?"

Ruby's grin grew even bigger as the girl picked up a taco of her own.

"I'll hold your hair back while you puke?"

"Oh lovely…" she said with a friendly roll of her eyes.

It didn't escape her notice that Ruby had offered to take care of her - a sweet gesture, from a sweet girl. The prospect of being tended to by the brunette definitely made it a little more worthwhile to try the possibly toxic food.

Taking a deep breath, she took a bite of the taco as Ruby did the same - the items crunching loudly as they bit into them. After several seconds of extremely thoughtful chewing, they both swallowed in near unison.

"What do you think? Does it taste poisonous?" Ruby asked, the brunette suddenly sounding much more concerned than she had _before_ they'd eaten some.

But she shook her head, thinking that it actually tasted pretty good.

"No...but if I die, _you_ get to explain to my parents how I was killed by a taco."

Ruby giggled and responded in a fake, high pitched voice, "Mr. and Mrs. Schnee, I'm so sorry but Weiss succumbed to a poisonous bear taco - I may or may not have forced her to eat it, but I'm sorry that she won't be able to make it to the wedding!"

Their laughter quickly died off, an uncomfortable silence gripping the table. She cleared her throat and smiled, trying to put that word as far behind them as possible. Ruby also seemed mortified by what she'd said, staring at the food remaining in her hands while frozen in place.

But just as she opened her mouth to change the subject, Ruby spoke first.

"Do you...do you want to get married, Weiss?"

The question sent her heart racing, pounding loudly in her ears while her brain struggled to grasp the situation. This was the one topic they avoided like the plague...the one subject that refused to come up in conversation no matter how long they spoke...

"It's not about what I want…" she finally responded, wishing dearly to rewind to a few seconds ago and steer their conversation in a different direction.

"That's not an answer."

"I…" she paused when Ruby looked at her, startled that the girl was pressing the issue so determinedly.

What good would it do for her to admit how badly she didn't want to get married? How could that knowledge possibly make Ruby feel better?

It wouldn't change the fact that she _was_ getting married, regardless of her wishes.

But she didn't want to lie to the girl, not about something like this.

"No...I don't," she finally replied, setting her food back on the tray and brushing off her hands on a napkin.

"Then why don't you just call the whole thing off?" Ruby replied, an anxious energy beginning to emit from the brunette, her hands fidgeting profusely.

"It's not that easy…"

"Sure it is! You just tell your parents you won't do it. They can't force you."

She looked at the girl for a few long seconds, trying to find the right words to say in the face of naive hope.

Did Ruby really think she hadn't thought about that? She'd thought of every possible way to say no...or to prevent it from happening...but it never changed the inevitable outcome.

It was her duty.

It was her purpose - her destiny.

If she didn't continue her family's name, then who would?

Taking a deep, shaky breath, she found that she had no courage to speak those thoughts to Ruby.

"Can we...can we not talk about it?" she asked - no, pleaded, the girl instead. "Can we just enjoy the moment, right now? And the potentially poisonous food we're eating?"

She forced a tiny smile at the end of her plea, hoping her attempt at humor would lighten the mood a little bit.

Ruby bit her lip thoughtfully before nodding her head, for the briefest of moments looking nearly ashamed for having brought up the subject to begin with.

But it was gone after a split second - the girl reverting quickly back to her usual self.

"Oh hey, I wanted to _personally_ invite you to the last track meet of indoor season!" the brunette proclaimed happily. "It's in a couple days."

"What, you mean I won't be invited by some strange blonde girl texting me out of the blue?" she replied with a grin, thankfully noting that Ruby had resumed eating.

"Nope! Yang and Blake might not even be there - it's their anniversary and my gift to them was granting amnesty from trying to make it on time."

"Oh, well that was very thoughtful of you, but means that I'll _definitely_ be there."

The thought of Ruby competing without anyone to cheer made her feel inexplicably sad. She would make sure to be there and provide the support the girl deserved.

"Oh god," the brunette suddenly exclaimed, placing her palms to both sides of her head. "If you're there watching, I have to run so fast...I have to break all my personal records, for sure!"

She giggled, enjoying the idea that her presence would make the girl try to show off.

"You don't need to break your records. Just...try not to scrape yourself up this time."

"No promises!" the brunette replied with a wink before diving into the second taco on her plate.

She picked up her first one, still hardly touched.

"What anniversary is it - do you know?" she asked before taking another dainty bite.

"Five years!"

Coughing in surprise, she nearly choked on a stray piece of lettuce.

"_Five_ years?"

"Yup! The volleyball incident was winter of their freshman year," Ruby explained.

It was incredibly difficult to fathom...spending that long with another person..._intimately_. And for the two girls to still look at each other the way they did...to still enjoy being around one another and to live together...

"Wow...that's really impressive…" she remarked, still incredulous over such a feat.

"I told you - she got hit in the head _hard!_"

As Ruby giggled, the girl continued to devour her meal - setting in on the french fries with renewed vigor. Weiss watched in amusement while pondering the idea of a five year relationship.

Of all the people she'd met so far in her life, there was only one she could imagine still enjoying spending time with after that much time...and that person was currently shoveling french fries into her mouth like a vacuum cleaner.

They hadn't even known each other for that long...how was it possible to envision years together?

It wasn't long before Ruby set in on Weiss' own tray - as she willingly offered the food there was no possible way she could finish by herself. She did pick at a few of the french fries while they continued their conversation - bouncing from topic to topic in the most Ruby-esque manner.

A short while later, Ruby let out a content sigh while they cleared their table of trash and made their way towards the exit.

"Thank you for the great dinner!" the brunette said as they walked back into the light snow, the early darkness of winter already beginning to set in on the evening. "I'm probably going to pass out as soon as I get home…"

Raising an eyebrow as they approached the immensely out of place vehicle, she couldn't wait to say what she had in store next.

"You don't seriously think I'd take you to dinner and not have dessert planned, do you?"

With a gasp, Ruby turned sparkling eyes towards her, seeking confirmation that Weiss wasn't just playing some sort a cruel joke. With a nod of her head, the brunette squealed in delight before running the rest of the way to the car - practically diving through the open door into the vehicle.

She followed at a much more refined pace - smiling at the success of her latest great idea.

It took awhile to cross nearly the entire town, but eventually they were dropped off in the ritziest section of Vale - the true definition 'swanky' and a stark contrast to where they'd just eaten dinner.

Every shop was severely overpriced - stocked with items most people could only dream of being able to afford in a lifetime. The street signs were written in an elegant cursive font...the walkways were faded red brick instead of boring cement...and there were no metal gates covering windows to speak of. The snow was easily visible as it fluttered by the wrought iron street lamps - the soft orange globes dotting the street as far as the eye could see.

This was where people 'like her' shopped - where the social elite could purchase items that would set themselves apart from the rest of the city. And, coincidentally, where her mother spent most of her time (and money).

But, this was also home to a bakery even someone with no sweet tooth found to be enjoyable.

The Vale Baker - a completely unassuming name for such a high class establishment. With a kitschy, red and white awning hung outside, it drew far more attention than the stores hemming it in on both sides. The sign had a classy white background with gold lettering, the font designed to look like frosting piped on top of a cake.

As they approached the store, Ruby's pace quickened substantially as soon as the air outside acquired the heavy scent of sugar, frosting, and baked goods to go along with the fresh snow. But even in her haste, the brunette was kind enough to hold the door open for Weiss to walk inside first.

She was immediately met with a blast of warm, fragrant air - her eyes needing a few seconds to adjust from dusk to the bright lights inside.

Inside the double glass doors were several huge display counters filled with a vast assortment of different sweets - from the traditional cookies and cupcakes to the mindblowing personal creations of the head baker. Every color imaginable seemed to be represented within the cases in the form of frosting or decorations.

No expense was spared when it came to the decadence, with small signs hung upon the walls touting the best ingredients sourced from the far corners of the globe….and those were only the ingredients that went into making the base batters.

The finishing touches were made with gold leaf and silver piping - resting in gold foil wrappers - and those were the least expensive items. One display was filled with delicacies plucked from the imagination of someone with a bottomless wallet - wrapped in pure gold and studded with diamonds, emeralds, or other jewels.

This would have been the perfect store for her own wedding cake, but the owner dealt only in cookies, cupcakes, and other bite size treats (something her mother had lamented many times). She couldn't blame the man for not wanting to step outside his comfort zone. Even if he had accepted the sum of money offered to him, providing a subpar deliverable would be far worse for him in the long run.

Nothing spelled career suicide like disappointing a Schnee.

Plus, the bakery they were using was renowned for their wedding cakes - which would undoubtedly be decorated with similar outlandishly expensive items. One conversation she had overhead had mentioned a 'quota' of at least fifty hand selected diamonds.

One of the caveats of this store (which would work in her advantage today) was that there were no prices displayed anywhere. The idea was that if someone needed to ask for the price, they couldn't afford what they were asking for, to begin with.

There were currently a couple of other patrons in the store, who she vaguely recognized. They had likely attended some Schnee event in the past - anyone with any money made sure to make an appearance at those parties...if they were lucky enough to be invited.

But they were the least of her concerns at the moment...because right now, this was about the stunned brunette standing beside her.

"Order whatever you'd like," she offered, noticing that Ruby seemed a little reticent about approaching the counter.

Hoping to tempt the girl closer, she took a single step forward, smiling when Ruby matched her movement.

"I don't know, Weiss...it all looks so expensive…"

"How do you know without the prices?" she asked with a grin, but found Ruby looking at her with a concerned expression.

"Weiss, I've eaten my fair share of cupcakes...I know gold isn't a common ingredient."

"Don't worry about the prices, really," she tried to assure the girl, taking another baby step forward to draw Ruby along with her.

"Yeah but...I really don't want to…"

Ruby bit her lip anxiously as her words trailed off.

Believing she understood what the girl was struggling to articulate, she took a deep breath before responding to the unvoiced concern.

"Ruby, it's really...you have _no_ idea how nice it is that you don't care that I'm rich...but that doesn't mean I'm not. I know you're not using me...I just - I want to spoil you a little bit. So will you let me? Please?"

With wide eyes, Ruby stared at her for a few seconds before clutching a hand to her chest - the gesture immediately alarming until she heard the words next out of the girl's mouth.

"Oh my god...how can I say no when you say 'please' like that?"

Instantly taken aback, a blush rushed to her cheeks.

She hadn't meant to use that word...it had slipped out completely unnoticed. It was one thing to use it in an innocent way like 'please follow me,' or 'please help yourself,' but to _legitimately_ use it to beg?

But when she glanced at Ruby, the girl still grinning happily at her, she felt those ingrained reservations slip away. And it suddenly seemed like an incredibly special thing...a trump card she hadn't known she possessed, albeit a highly uncomfortable one.

Her family wasn't exactly prone to begging for their wishes to be granted...but if it worked with Ruby, she was willing to do it.

"So...pick a few things?" she gently suggested, holding one hand out in the direction of the first display case.

That was all the encouragement Ruby needed before rushing forward and pressing both hands to the glass - drawing a curious look from the man tending the sweets, who Weiss recognized to be the owner. When the brunette began pointing to one thing after another, unable to make a clear decision, he looked back to her for direction.

With her small nod, he began pulling items quickly from the cases when Ruby mentioned them - continuing his actions until the girl exhausted herself selecting a variety of cookies and cupcakes alike.

The owner didn't even ring up a total for the baked goods - her family's information already on file to pay for whatever absurd amount it would be. He also included her usual favorite without her having to order - whether he remembered these things or had it written down somewhere, she wasn't sure, but it was certainly a nice touch of client service.

"Hey Ruby, if you pick a seat they'll bring everything over," she said, the brunette dashing away after giving her another giant smile.

Turning her attention to the man diligently arranging their items on an expensive silver platter, she caught his attention with a soft 'excuse me.'

"Could you bring over a glass of milk, as well?"

Satisfied with his nod, she made her way to rejoin Ruby at the table the girl had selected - close to the windows so they could watch the snow fluttering outside while they ate.

Taking the seat Ruby had left open for her, she could already see the girl's knee bouncing rapidly up and down...without the massive influx of sugar that was headed their way.

"Do you even have room to eat?" she asked curiously, not forgetting how much the brunette had already inhaled at the taco shack.

"Please! There's _always_ room for dessert!"

She smiled while the silver tray was placed in front of them, accompanied by two small, china plates and two sets of silverware. A glass of milk appeared an instant later - the brunette's eyes lighting up in surprise when it was placed in front of her.

"Oh wow, this place is the best, Weiss! They knew I'd need a glass of milk!"

At that moment, she decided there was nothing in the world more satisfying than seeing those silver eyes sparkle so joyfully. The sight filled her with such an incredible sense of...purpose...it was unlike anything she'd ever felt before.

It was as if making Ruby happy was her true calling and, somehow, she was actually _good_ at it. She was good at coming up with ways to make Ruby happy - ways to make her laugh or smile or giggle.

Even something so small, like remembering a glass of milk, seemed more rewarding than getting the best score on a difficult test.

"Dig in," she told the girl with a smile - fully aware that what was about to occur would break nearly every rule of proper eating etiquette.

But she fully didn't care.

The brunette plucked the first cupcake off the tray with her bare hands, carefully removing the gold foiled wrapper while holding the sweet in the air before discarding it on the tray. While the china plate continued to go unused, Ruby took a huge bite out of the small cake, crumbs falling everywhere while frosting managed to find itself on the tip of the girl's nose.

"Mmmm...my 'od…"

"Is it good?"

Nodding her head, Ruby quickly finished chewing and swallowed the bite in her mouth.

"That is..._the best_ cupcake...I've _ever_ had."

That statement probably shouldn't have made her as happy as it did...but it made her feel very, _very_ pleased.

"And that's only the first one," she replied confidently, betting there was at least one other item on the tray that Ruby would enjoy more than the first.

Abandoning the first cupcake half eaten on her plate, Ruby eyed the tray intently while trying to make her second selection.

"Wait...what's that one?"

The brunette pointed a finger towards the single treat earmarked for Weiss. The small, rectangular piece of cake was rather nondescript when compared to the lavish sweets Ruby had picked out, making it stick out like a sore thumb upon the tray. A white cake with only a thin layer of ivory frosting, it lacked much of a pizzazz and sparkle, but that's exactly why she liked it.

"That's my favorite dessert - want to try it?"

"Are you sure?" Ruby asked, the question polite even though the girl had already picked up her fork in anticipation of having a bite.

When she nodded her head, Ruby eagerly stuck her fork into the cake and broke off the corner before sticking it in her mouth.

Struggling to maintain a straight face, she watched in amusement as the girl tried and miserably failed to keep her nose from wrinkling. Picking up one of the napkins that had been left on the edge of the table, she used it to playfully snatch the rest of the piece away from Ruby, who was struggling to swallow the piece in her mouth.

"It tastes like bread..."

"That's because it's not packed with sugar!" she said, giggling when Ruby defiantly stuck her fork into the top of another cupcake and put another chunk of frosting in her mouth with a grin.

"Mmm...sugar…"

"Well good...at least I'm no longer in danger of losing my dessert," she teased while taking the first bite of her treat.

Sure, it might not taste like a typical dessert, but she still enjoyed it. It tasted far more like butter than sugar...and Ruby was right, it did taste more like bread than cake.

"So am I worth more now that I'm eating gold?"

She looked up just in the time see the brunette place an intricately molded golden leaf on the tip of her tongue before it disappeared with a wink.

"You're already priceless, Ruby."

Her words contained not one drop of humor, but Ruby took them to be a joke - responding with a light-hearted laugh.

"Tell that to Yang! She tried to trade me for a pair of boots last week!"

"Well, what kind of boots were they?" she asked, attempting to pose the question as seriously as possible while her mouth twitched upwards in a smirk.

"I dunno...black ones?" Ruby replied before laughing again, silver eyes lighting up to match as she set in on a rather large white and gold cookie.

It was with great enjoyment and hilarity that they finished the rest of their desserts, finding all manners of subjects to talk about at the same time.

If there was one good thing that came out of her family's infinite fountain of money, it was this...the ability to take Ruby somewhere she'd never been and treat her to delicacies she might have never tried.

It was an even better feeling to know that this was all completely unnecessary. Even though Ruby was enjoying herself greatly, the brunette would have found a way to have just as much fun at a cotton candy stand, or an ice cream parlor, or a landfill, even.

It wasn't the _money_ that made being together enjoyable...it was just _being together_ that was enjoyable.

Night had officially fallen by the time they stepped back outside - the air now carrying a frigid bite to go along with the continued flurries of snow. With the lack of foot traffic, a small dusting of white had begun to collect upon the brick sidewalks - nothing that would last through morning, but the first bit of accumulation they'd seen thus far this winter.

With tightly wrapped jackets, the two of them rushed back to the limousine waiting on them, climbing hastily aboard to get out of the cold as quickly as possible. Thankfully, the cabin was already warm - the driver having had the foresight to turn on the heat in back while they were eating.

As the vehicle pulled away from the curb to begin the drive to Ruby's home, the brunette turned towards her - silver eyes clear and bright.

It was only a smile Ruby gave to her, but there was something about it...something so unique and special...it was as if that smile had been crafted just for her - as if someone had reached into her dreams and created exactly what she most greatly desired to see.

It was just a smile, but it ignited a fire in her heart - warming her from the inside out.

Quiet words and peaceful whispers were exchanged on the return to the apartment building Ruby called home, their energy winding down just as their evening did. It was only after braving the cold one more time to escort Ruby through the front doors of the building that she felt her pulse increasing - the end of the 'date' finally upon them.

"I still can't believe you ate _all_ of those cupcakes _and _all of the cookies," she remarked, in a permanent state of disbelief over the spectacle she'd bore witness to.

"Ye of little faith…you really didn't have to send me home with more though!" Ruby replied, lifting up the paper bag filled with individually wrapped cupcakes and stacks of cookies.

"Maybe you can share one with Yang and Blake?"

"Why?" Ruby asked as they approached the bank of elevators - the question throwing her off completely.

"I-I don't know, I just thought it might be nice…"

"Aww, you care about them!" Ruby teased her, dropping the serious act immediately in favor of poking her gently in the side.

"What? I do not -"

"You dooooo! Look at you, you're blushing!"

She puffed out her disobedient cheeks, which had once again warmed without her permission.

"I just don't want them to feel left out!" she finally wailed, turning away when Ruby giggled.

While she was still turned away, two arms wrapped around her waist, pulling her into a somewhat awkward sideways hug.

"You care about people - I like that about you! No need to be embarrassed."

Now her cheeks were lighting up for a different reason entirely - Ruby's words from earlier back at the forefront of her mind, filling her with anxiousness and longing.

"You should come up though. They'll want to thank you in person."

"Oh...o-ok, sure," she replied, pulse skyrocketing while they waited for an elevator to arrive on the ground level.

The soft 'ding' announcing the machine's arrival was barely distinguishable above the pounding of her heart in her ears - her feet mechanically moving her forward when Ruby motioned her in.

But when the doors slid shut in front of them, Ruby merely reached down and lightly grabbed ahold of her hand - giving her fingers a soft squeeze.

It was that sweet, innocent gesture that destroyed all of her nerves - telling her that there was no pressure, there was no assumption of what would happen.

But that small amount of contact left her suddenly desiring much, much more.

Incredibly, she was the who used their joined hands to pull Ruby towards her a split second later - drawing the brunette down a few inches so she could place a kiss on those soft, red lips.

Maybe her initial intent had been as pure as that one kiss...but the instant their lips touched, any notion of stopping at one had flown from her mind. Now she needed two, then three, then four...

As an electric current charged through her veins, her arms found themselves wrapped around Ruby's neck - the brunette kissing her back fervently now. She was enjoying the taste of sugar on Ruby's lips as one long, slender arm wrapped around her waist - dragging a low plea for more contact from the back of her throat. Both of them were breathing heavily already, breaths coming in ragged gasps whenever they were able to spare an instant to take in more air.

A quiet 'ding' attempted to pull her out of the fog - elevator doors sliding open as they reached the fifth floor.

"We should...stop…" she muttered in between Ruby's continued passionate kisses, the brunette not seeming to have noticed the doors were now open.

"Mmk…" Ruby responded, placing one last kiss on her lips before obediently beginning to pull away.

But her body once again betrayed her...her grip tightening around the girl's neck in order to drag Ruby back down for another kiss.

She heard the sound of the bag containing the sweets hitting the floor at the same time the elevator doors slid shut - while they remained inside. With both hands now free, Ruby returned one to her waist while another became lost in her hair, tugging and pulling gently as they struggled to meld into one another.

Maybe she was good at lying, maybe she was good at coming up with fibs on a moment's notice, maybe she could easily hide her emotions...but her body couldn't lie at all.

Everything she'd ever craved...desired...longed for...she'd found it all within this one person - one person she could easily lose herself in, and never come back.


	20. Chapter 20

**I've struggled to work on anything but this story recently. It's consumed my life! Well, that's ok. We'll just have to see this through in record time!**

* * *

Several days later, she was _still _embarrassed whenever she thought of the last time she'd seen Ruby.

The two of them had eventually been forced to leave the elevator behind - not by choice, but because someone had called it down to the ground floor to use it. It had been a real jolt of surprise when the floor beneath their feet had suddenly begun moving again, so lost had they been in each other up until that moment.

After spending an uncomfortable few seconds of silence with the older gentleman traveling to the third floor, she'd followed through in accompanying Ruby all the way back to her apartment with the desserts. It did seem like the proper thing to do - to present her gifts in person.

But the looks Yang and Blake had given them…their breathing still a little labored and her face fully flushed...they might as well have been holding signs that read 'something not strictly _friendly _just happened here.'

Yang had had a much more difficult time hiding her surprise than Blake - the blonde's eyes widening as they flitted back and forth between the two guilty parties, mouth hanging open. Thankfully, Blake had said something before Yang could - directing the conversation back to the cupcakes in the bag Ruby was holding, which were only slightly disheveled from having been dropped onto the floor of the elevator.

After she'd been appropriately thanked, she'd removed herself from the building as quickly as possible - her heart rate not returning to normal until she was nearly home.

That had been several days ago, but her heart still performed stunts in her chest when she recalled the memory from the elevator. There was something about the feeling of Ruby's hands...something that made her believe nothing else mattered in the world.

And for someone who didn't enjoy sugar...when it was on Ruby's tongue, she found the taste incredibly addicting. It was something she could go back for time and time again.

Shaking her head, she tried to clear the thought for the time being. It would do her no good to be distracted by those images when it was still hours before she would see Ruby again.

Today was the day of the track meet - or the 'indoor championships,' as Ruby had referred to them. This afternoon, she would get to watch the brunette run again - this time hopefully without being injured or cheated out of victory.

But if Ruby did get hurt, which seemed like it might happen more often than not, she wanted to make sure she was there. The least she could do was cheer the girl up if such a situation reoccurred.

And someone needed to make sure the brunette received her injury reward of a giant bowl of ice cream.

With quite a bit of free time to spare before she could even _think_ of getting ready for the track meet, she decided it might be nice to play the piano again. Having been a little preoccupied recently, she hadn't played in quite some time. But if she was going to play for Ruby the next time the brunette came over, she'd better come up with a set piece she could play without feeling embarrassed.

Something fast-paced would probably do the trick...plus, the faster songs were always more impressive when played for guests.

As she made her way through the hallways towards the music room, a short-statured woman wearing a maid's apron caught her attention with a quick wave.

"Miss - your mother is looking for you."

The sigh that passed her lips was subconscious, already knowing that the woman likely had news for her that she wouldn't enjoy in the slightest. And just when she'd been about to have an enjoyable day, too...

"Where is she?"

"In the study, Miss," the woman replied politely.

"Thank you," she said before turning around and walking back the direction she'd just come from - wishing to get this out of the way sooner rather than later. Hopefully, it was only some 'horrible' news about how the baker couldn't get the right coloring on the cake or how someone had 'rudely' declined the invitation to attend.

The study was a dark room - and one of her least favorite in the entire house...which was truly saying something seeing as how there were hundreds of rooms in the running for that coveted title.

Maybe it was because the dark brown and hunter green color palette was so gloomy...or maybe it was because this was where her mother spent most of her time when not entertaining guests.

As far as size went, it was much more comfortable than the massive open spaces in other areas of the house, while still being large enough to fit four chairs surrounding a low card table on one side of the room. Bookcases stacked with her mother's favorite authors lined one complete wall, while a large, wooden desk was pressed up against the remaining empty wall.

It was at this desk that she found her mother currently sitting - the woman's head bent over a piece of paper while writing.

She never knew what it was her mother wrote, but the woman seemed to do a lot of it. All she knew was that the filled sheets of stationery were carefully placed in the drawer on the bottom left side of the desk - the only drawer with a lock.

Stopping right inside the doorway, she cleared her throat softly to announce her presence without being too disruptive. Hearing the sound, the woman quickly glanced over to see who was there.

"Ah, Weiss - good morning."

"Good morning, mother," she replied cordially, dipping her head in respect but not moving an inch closer.

"Mr. Winchester had a meeting come up tomorrow, so we'll be going to lunch with them today and then go tour the church afterward - be ready to leave by eleven."

"Oh...am I really needed for touring the church? I made plans this afternoon," she replied, trying to sound as diplomatic as possible.

"Yes, you're coming. Cancel your plans - we're not rescheduling on them again."

"They're...kind of important though."

Ordinarily, she would never have said anything, but she didn't want to miss the last track meet for the next few months...not when she'd already promised Ruby she would be there. Lunch wouldn't be the problem, but she knew that touring the church would be several hours of nitpicking every nook and cranny and discussing exactly where everything should be placed for the wedding. It was the tour that would make her miss the track meet entirely.

"Could they _possibly_ be more important than spending time with your soon-to-be husband and his family?"

Flinching at the term 'husband,' she immediately recognized the malice creeping into her mother's voice - a tone that said there would be no negotiation, no bartering and no bending, not today.

Even though she opened her mouth to argue once more, she decided against it.

"Of course not," she lied instead, turning on her heel and walking out of the room as the woman hummed in satisfaction at the response.

Making her way hastily back to her room, she could feel her hands shaking in anger - upset that her life had just been dictated to her once again, that her plans were deemed so unimportant that it had never even been asked what they were.

But what other choice did she have but to do as her parents said?

Once inside her room, she closed the door and turned the lock before stepping over to the windows. There was cold air seeping through the panes of glass, serving to cool her angrily flushed skin.

Pulling her phone out of her pocket, she found Ruby's contact information and stared at it for several seconds - taking deep breaths while trying to calm herself enough to hold a normal conversation.

When her hands had steadied, she pressed the 'call' button and raised the phone to her ear as it began ringing - directing her attention out the window towards the snow sprinkled lawn below. The weather was threatening to send a true snowstorm any day now - preceded by many, many light dustings.

"Hey Weiss!"

The cheerful voice brought a temporary smile to her lips - for a moment making her completely forget the dreadful reason behind her call.

"Good morning, Ruby. I uh...I have some bad news."

"Well _that's_ not a great thing to wake up to! What's up?"

Opening her mouth to respond, no words appeared.

How could she tell Ruby what happened without making the girl upset? How could she explain that instead of watching the girl run, as she'd promised to, she would be walking around the site of her wedding with Cardin?

The wedding she'd already admitted she didn't want to go through with.

"My...father...just told me I have to sit in on a few meetings with him today. Something about 'learning the business' and how to negotiate - boring stuff like that. I-I'm...afraid I won't be able to make it to your meet after all..."

Holding her breath while waiting for Ruby to respond, she found she didn't have to wait long at all.

"Oh...that's ok, Weiss. That's actually really cool! You get to sit in with all the big wigs!"

What disappointment there had been in Ruby's voice disappeared almost instantly - the girl sounding more impressed and...happy for her...than anything else.

She'd accomplished what she'd hoped to do - Ruby didn't seem upset in the slightest...so why did it feel like someone had just stabbed her through the heart?

"I'm sorry…" she whispered anyway, feeling as if tears could appear in her eyes at any moment.

"Hey, don't worry about it. If you promise to try extra hard and learn a whole bunch of cool stuff, I'll promise to run extra hard today!" the brunette replied cheerfully.

"I promise," she answered with a wavering smile, glad that they were doing this over the phone and not in person. "Make sure to show Emerald who the better runner is, ok?"

"I just hope you don't get jealous when she spends the entire race staring at my butt!"

She burst out laughing while Ruby giggled at her own joke.

"I'll try not to," she said once their laughs had faded, feeling temporarily lighter than air. "Text me as soon as it's over? I might not be able to respond right away, but I still want to know how it went..."

"Will do! Mwuah!"

Her cheeks flushed as she lowered the phone from her ear, her heart sinking as the device inched towards the ground.

Suddenly queasy, she walked over to an armchair and fell into it - her legs refusing to keep her upright any longer. Hiding her head in her palms, she found that her hands were shaking again even though her anger was long gone.

Horrible couldn't even begin to describe how she felt right now.

She was disgusted...disgusted with herself for telling such a lie. To _Ruby_, of all people. To someone so sweet and innocent and naive...the brunette would never for a second think that it had been a lie.

And she _knew_ that. She knew that Ruby believed every word she said...and she'd just taken advantage of that knowledge.

She'd always been an excellent liar - one of those skills necessary to survive in a life where every person was out to backstab one another. She'd never even thought badly of it before - the inevitable fact of life becoming nothing more than routine. Never had she even batted an eye when lying to her parents or their friends or her 'friends.'

But this one...this one sat like a rock in her stomach.

She'd thought that things with Ruby would be different...that the brunette was the one person she would never have to lie to…but here she sat - the lie festering like an open wound in the pit of her stomach.

But...maybe it was a little different...

Usually, she lied to protect herself from people pretending to be her friends, from the fake world trying to hurt her.

This time...she was protecting Ruby from her.

* * *

There was no worse way to 'enjoy' a meal than to seat two wealthy families at the same table. Everything was a competition - from what was ordered, to who paid for the meal, to who the host greeted first.

This, she had known for quite some time, yet was forced to experience it firsthand time and time again. It was almost as if the universe felt she hadn't appropriately learned that lesson the first hundred times.

More than a few of these dreadful meals had featured the Winchesters - the two families having been intricately connected since before she'd even been born. But this didn't mean she was exceptionally fond of the man and woman who had raised someone as _charming _as Cardin.

Cardin's father, Matthew, was a physically imposing man - standing over six feet tall while being built like a tree trunk. He sported the same crew cut brown hair as Cardin, with his voice loud and booming just like his son's. The man was known to be particularly vicious when it came to business, more often than not using physical intimidation to force things his way.

Compared to Mr. Winchester, her own father seemed quite frail - his tall, slender frame appeared far too skinny to compete with such a burly man, while the graying tips of his hair diminished the appearance of youth he'd once had. However, what her father lacked in physique, he made up in intellect - sharp, cunning, and easily able to outmaneuver any opponent. He was a master of playing the game, having been thrust into a leadership role far earlier than expected when his own father unexpectedly passed away quite young.

But he'd grown to be a master of manipulation - pitting different families and businesses against each other while always managing to stay out of the fray.

Although with a reign far superior to that of any other family in Vale or Remnant, he hardly needed to resort to such scheming these days. Instead, other families pandered to him, willing to do whatever he wished without any hesitation.

The other half of the Winchester clan, Sarah Winchester, was a beauty in her own right. While only slightly taller than Weiss' mother, the way her long, auburn hair cascaded in perfect curls down her back made her appear even taller. With piercing green eyes and the perfect smile, the woman was just as vain as her son, if not more so. More than once, she'd overheard the woman saying something along the lines of, 'Thank goodness Weiss grew up to be beautiful - otherwise I don't know what we would have done about this marriage.'

Her mother and Mrs. Winchester were constantly in competition over appearances - each trying in anyway possible to be seen as more beautiful than the other. But comparing the two was like comparing apples and oranges...with Mrs. Winchester's more 'traditional' beauty and her mother's 'exotic' combination of snow colored waves, ice blue eyes, and fair complexion.

Many times she'd been told that she looked like an identical version of her mother. The only thing she seemed to have inherited from her father was his straight hair - and hopefully his intellect, as well.

On the occasions her family shared a meal with the Winchesters, there was this constant undercurrent of tension that refused to alleviate. While her family held seniority and a tremendous advantage in wealth, there was always an attempt to one-up anything the other family said or claimed.

Her mother and father always won such arguments in the end...but it was still mentally taxing to listen to the thinly disguised bickering throughout an entire meal. Most days, it was all she could do just to keep from rolling her eyes in annoyance.

Like right now, her mother and Mrs. Winchester were having what, on the surface, appeared to be a civil discussion about the latest additions to their massive jewelry collections. But underneath those cordial tones were two women combating for superiority - each necklace valued down to the penny in an effort to prove supremacy. Even though Mrs. Winchester _knew_ she could never hope to best Weiss' mother permanently, there was always a tiny glimmer of hope that she could at least wear the crown for a day.

Of course, if Sarah Winchester happened to own a piece of jewelry better than what her mother did, her mother would go out tomorrow and commission an even grander piece to be custom made for her.

Such was the life of a matron of wealth…

The men, on the other hand, seemed to enjoy talking about whose business was currently more prosperous - throwing around numbers and metrics that could hardly be compared to one another. One had a new hire capture ratio over .8...the other had a field accuracy percentage above 85%...she didn't believe either man actually know which business was in a better position based on these figures, but that didn't prevent them from holding lengthy arguments in order to prove their point.

That left her and Cardin, seated next to each other on one bend of the large, circular table.

The boy had pretended to be interested in the business talk for all of a hot second before invariably reverting back to texting on his phone, snickering every so often when one of his friends probably made a hellaciously inappropriate comment about some poor girl.

Since she'd been taught how _not_ to be rude at the table, she did not pull out her phone and instead let her thoughts wander - at the same time making sure to maintain a grasp on the conversations in order to answer the inevitable questions that would be thrown her way.

Her opinion wasn't usually valuable...until it came time to settle a dispute of 'which is better' between the two women.

Waters that must be traversed _very_ diplomatically...

At least the restaurant staff had recognized the importance of their table - bringing out their orders in nearly record time. The food served as somewhat of a distraction, although she found herself moving items around her plate rather than eating it.

She'd already been scolded for playing with her food...before she mentioned needing to watch her weight for the wedding - the excuse earning nods of understanding and immediate acceptance from both women.

In truth, she felt like she might throw up if she tried to eat anything...having been extremely nauseous ever since she'd gotten off the phone with Ruby.

Ruby...

She just wanted the meal to end so they could go to the church and finally go home. Hopefully, Ruby wouldn't be too tired from the track meet to spend a little time texting before falling asleep…maybe they could even talk on the phone tonight…

She knew that hearing the brunette's voice would instantly ease the knots in her stomach.

Having to lie to Ruby had cast a dark cloud over her morning...and spending lunch with the Winchesters had only added to her miserable day…

But, incredibly, her day suddenly became even more dreadful.

Straightening in her chair, she directed her eyes away from the front door for a second before turning back. Heart racing, she wondered what she had done to deserve the very worst luck in the universe - because that's the only thing that could explain what was happening right now.

Standing in the entrance to the restaurant, currently speaking amicably to the host as he collected a pair of menus, were Blake and Yang.

The two girls were wearing beautiful dresses paired with heels - the outfits confusing until she remembered what Ruby had mentioned about today being their anniversary.

Five years...they must have decided to go out somewhere nice to celebrate.

As the host turned to lead the pair towards their table, she silently begged the man not to lead them in her direction - still hopeful that she might somehow avoid being noticed.

But he led them straight towards her, both girls doing a double take when immediately catching sight of her.

She turned away with a blush, only to notice that Cardin's eyes had already locked onto Yang...or, more specifically, the girl's ample cleavage...while the two were led to a table nearby.

Blake also noticed the intrusion on her girlfriend's form and gave the boy a scathing look as the host set down their menus and rushed back to the front - a look Cardin failed to notice with his eyes still glued to Yang, openly drooling over the blonde.

Of course, Yang was too busy staring at Weiss to notice the boy's attention. And with the displeased look the blonde was giving her, she instantly knew that Ruby had told them her lie...that she was in business meetings with her father all day.

"Cardin," she said in a hushed voice, trying to draw his attention away from Yang as Blake was looking more and more likely to say something out of pure annoyance.

"Yeah?" he replied disinterestedly, not bothering to look at her.

"Cardin!" she hissed louder, connecting the heel of one shoe into the top of his foot underneath the table.

"Ow!" he shouted, a little too loudly, before turning to her angrily. "What the hell -"

"Don't be rude," she scolded him in a low voice, trying not to disturb their parents' conversations.

"I'm not being rude - she's fucking hot."

She cringed at the comment - wishing the idiot had a volume level that was anything less than 'obnoxiously loud.' Glancing over again, she knew his words had been loud enough for the two girls to hear by the way Blake was now gritting her teeth while Yang leaned forward to whisper something across the table.

Whatever Yang said seemed to do the trick, drawing a soft giggle from her girlfriend's lips.

"Don't be a pig," she mumbled as she turned away from the couple, very much wishing their meal was over _right now_.

"Aw...is someone jealousss?" he goaded her, leaning over and bumping his shoulder playfully into hers. "Don't worry, Weiss - you're pretty hot too. But she's like...sizzling hot. _Surface of the sun_ hot."

"Do shut up," she replied angrily, face flushing in embarrassment at his degrading comments.

Chuckling, he moved away from her and turned back to his phone - now throwing glances over at Blake and Yang every so often. She could only imagine the kinds of things he was texting to his friends at this moment…

"Weiss."

Her eyes snapped up at the sound of her mother's firm voice, finding the woman and Mrs. Winchester both staring at her.

"Y-yes?" she replied.

"Do pay attention, child," her mother admonished her sharply. "And don't stutter."

Her cheeks flushed with humiliation at the dual reprimands, catching the concerned glances Blake and Yang sent her way out of the corner of her eye.

Taking a deep breath, she forced a smile and called upon every ounce of willpower she had remaining to make this as painless as possible.

"Yes, mother. Was there something you wished to ask me?"

Satisfied with that response, her mother dropped a fraction of her annoyance and waved a hand towards their guest.

"Sarah had asked you a question."

"Your mother was telling me your dress was finished recently," Mrs. Winchester said in a much more pleasant tone. "Is it as beautiful as she described?"

Refusing to allow her eyes to flit away for an instant for fear of being further admonished, she gave the woman what she hoped was a big smile.

"Yes, it's a very beautiful dress. Everything I could have hoped for…"

Both women were apparently pleased with her answer, smiling before turning back to their own conversation. She turned her own attention down to her hands held in her lap, watching her fingers tremor while focusing on taking one breath at a time.

When her plate was finally taken from in front of her, still filled with food, she was incredibly relieved that this miserable lunch was finally over. She actually couldn't wait to get to the church now - to be anywhere but here.

She stood from the table only after her father had done so and followed the two families out the door without glancing towards Yang and Blake once - not wanting to risk acknowledging their existence at that moment.

It was only once she was outside that she patted her empty jacket pocket, knowing that what she was about to say would earn her a firm scolding later.

"Oops...I forgot my wallet inside," she said before turning away from the two limousines and heading quickly back into the restaurant.

Her wallet was actually safely stored in the opposite coat pocket, from where she pulled it out while walking straight towards Yang and Blake's table. The raven haired girl noticed her approach immediately, nodding her head in Weiss' direction to alert Yang.

The blonde swiveled in her chair - eyes narrowing as she walked up to the side of their table.

"Fancy meeting you here, Weiss," Blake said softly.

"Meetings must have ended early, huh? Like, way before they even started," Yang added, not one drop of amusement in the normally teasing tone.

"They...they did."

"Looks like you got your ring back too," Blake commented, pointing towards her hand.

"The jeweler finally got it back to me," she replied quickly, compulsively touching the sharp object with her thumb.

"You'd think they'd be faster - since you're a Schnee and all," Yang said.

"I told them there was no hurry."

"Ah, I see...that was very understanding of you," the blonde replied, lilac eyes flashing with disbelief.

The three of them stared at each other for a few seconds, the mood thick and tense. She could tell Yang was combative and Blake was not pleased at all with the situation, but she didn't know what they wanted from her...what they expected to her to say…

She'd only come back inside to ask one thing...something she couldn't leave without knowing the answer to...

"Are you going to go watch Ruby run?"

Above all else, she feared that no one would be there in the stands to cheer the girl on. The thought threatened to break her heart like nothing else could - her desire to be there for Ruby weighing heavily upon her.

But the question only brought a frown to Yang's face.

"I always make it to Ruby's meets. I haven't missed one since she started running," the girl replied flatly.

It didn't take much to infer what Yang was saying - 'but here you are - eating lunch with your fiance when you promised to be there for Ruby too.'

She already felt horrible enough about it...there was no need to rub it in. If she _could_ have been there for Ruby, she would have been.

"Could you maybe...not mention this to Ruby right away?" she finally asked, the request causing both girls to widen their eyes at her gall. "I'll tell her - I just...don't think it's worth upsetting her over right now."

It wasn't - not when the wedding was so close. There was no point in causing the girl any premature pain…

At least, it wasn't worth it in her opinion. Yang clearly thought differently, narrowing her eyes and shaking her head.

"Maybe you're ok with lying to her, but I'm not," the blonde replied firmly.

"I didn't -"

When they both raised an eyebrow at her in unison, she stopped the lie that had been about to exit her mouth - her instinctive response to being backed into a corner.

"Finish that sentence, Weiss," Yang prodded - no, dared, her.

"I didn't want to hurt her feelings," she mumbled instead, glancing off to the side when the accusatory eyes became too much for her to bare.

She _knew_ she'd messed up - but, honestly, what other choice had she had?

"Well, now _I_ have to hurt her feelings," Yang replied, voice becoming angry. "Or else let her continue to think you walk on water."

Those words hurt a lot more than she could have imagined - the revelation that Ruby adored her so much cutting down to the bone.

Especially when she didn't deserve an ounce of that adoration.

"Yang, I'm -"

Her apology was interrupted when she saw Cardin re-enter the restaurant out of the corner of her eye - the boy quickly finding her and striding over.

"Cardin? What are you -"

"Your mom sent me to check on you," the boy replied bluntly as he walked up to her, before noticing just who she was speaking with. "Oh, _hello_ there. Weiss, do you know these two?"

He looked at her eagerly before turning his attention back to Yang. Or rather, back to Yang's chest.

"Oh, uh - no. They just helped me find my wallet," she replied hastily, holding the item up in one hand to prove she'd found it. In her peripheral vision, she found both girls looking at each other in shock from her answer.

"Ah, well too bad - they're really hot. _Especially_ you," he said, giving Yang a suggestive wink that both girls scowled in response to.

"Happy to help, _Miss Schnee_," Yang replied bitingly, completely ignoring Cardin's hopeless advances.

She could tell that Yang would have said something more if Blake hadn't been clutching the blonde's hand tightly on top of the table, the writer's fingers digging into the top of the blonde's hand.

"Hey, maybe later you ladies can help _me_ with a little problem -"

Spinning away, she grabbed Cardin by the arm and dragged him towards the front door before he could finish that thought - the boy thankfully didn't fight against her, otherwise she would never have been successful in budging him an inch.

"Are you a prick _all_ of the time or is it exclusively when you're around me?" she demanded, irritated beyond belief as she stomped between the tables towards the exit.

"Well since I'm not getting any from my _fiancee_, I have to go elsewhere, you know? Hey, you don't think those two are dating, do you? That'd be so hot..."

She scowled back at him, growing increasingly tired of his repugnant comments.

"You disgust me," she spat at him as they walked through the front lobby, refusing to look him in the face any longer.

"I don't see what the big deal is. You already knew about the other girls."

"It's still embarrassing for you to do it right in front of my face," she hissed back at him.

Approaching the front door, she slowed her pace in order for him to catch up, allowing the boy to step past her in order to hold the door - the courteous gesture hammered into him after years of scoldings.

She could still vividly remember the time his mother had yelled at him in front of everyone at his 10th birthday party for running through a door in front of her. She remembered feeling awful - she'd been the one who'd allowed him to rush past her, believing that the birthday boy should be first inside the party room. But Mrs. Winchester had made him hold the door for _everyone_ to enter before him as punishment.

That had been the first and last time she'd ever seen him cry.

The air outside was frigid today - nearly creating steam when it touched her blazing cheeks. As soon as they'd left the restaurant behind, they dropped the argument in exchange for small smiles as they separated towards their waiting vehicles.

She nodded to James as he held the door open for her - the man giving her a sad, sympathetic smile she did not deserve. Ducking into the vehicle and taking her seat beside her parents, she pretended as if nothing was wrong while accepting the immediate scolding for being so 'forgetful and irresponsible' in front of the Winchesters.

Her expression was impassive as she took the verbal lashing, but inside she was filled with turmoil.

Everything was wrong.

Everything was terribly, terribly wrong.

Yang and Blake would mention to Ruby that she'd been at lunch with Cardin instead of some big, important business meeting - and why shouldn't they? Yang was just trying to look out for her sister, which was an admirable quality in any person.

But...she'd sworn to cheer the girl on at the track meet...and instead she's having lunch with her fiance and his family?

What would Ruby say when she uncovered Weiss' lie?

The girl placed so much trust in her...what would happen when Ruby learned that she had taken advantage of that trust - in an effort to keep the girl happy?

She'd only wanted to keep everyone happy...to prevent her two worlds from crashing into one another.

She needed to text Ruby - she needed to text Ruby _right now_ \- but she couldn't risk getting in trouble again during this outing...maybe she could find a way to slip off for just a few minutes...not like Ruby would even get the message for the next couple hours...

But she needed to fix this.

She needed to fix this before things really spiraled out of control.


	21. Chapter 21

**All aboard the angst train - next stop, Super Angstville. This is your conductor speaking, get ready for a bumpy ride! **

* * *

The brunette had kept her word and texted as soon as she'd finished running - even though Weiss hadn't been able to read the messages until some time later.

It was good news too - Ruby had won all of her personal events and Vale U. had placed second as a team, undoubtedly led by Ruby's own strong performances (even though the brunette would never agree with that assessment).

But from all the exclamation points in the messages, she could tell that the girl had been beyond excited after the competition was over. The euphoria could have stemmed from winning...or it could have been Yang and Blake's decision to break protocol and go out for ice cream to celebrate a non-injury finish to the winter season.

To her, it seemed like a suspicious time to break from ritual, but she tried not to dwell upon it too much. For all she knew, the girls had actually decided that it was a good time to leave the injury celebration rule behind. Or, more likely, the trio _always_ found an excuse to go out and get ice cream together.

When she'd finally returned home from the church, mentally exhausted and agitated from spending so much time in an enclosed space with her parents and the Winchesters, she'd immediately messaged Ruby to tell the girl congratulations.

The truly disappointing part of her night hadn't occurred until Ruby had responded, saying that she was really tired from the track meet and was going to go to sleep early.

She'd wanted to spend time talking - she wanted to hear Ruby's voice, knowing that the cheerful sound would wash away all the worry over what had happened at lunch. But she didn't feel right asking Ruby to stay awake with her, especially not after the girl had physically exhausted herself earlier that day.

But, before Ruby went to bed, she did manage to get the girl to promise they would see each other the next day. They didn't make plans for anything specific, just that they would see each other.

It might not have been exactly what she wanted, but knowing she would have the chance to make things up to Ruby was enough to allow her to fall into a fitful sleep.

When she woke up, her senses immediately told her that there was something different about today - something...brighter and...warmer...

It took her a few moments to figure it out, but it was the sun - the sun was already beginning to rise and was shining brightly, with not a cloud in the sky to obscure its rays.

It was only after she'd gotten dressed and walked over to the windows that she'd discovered it was not only sunny, but they'd received snow overnight - the grounds outside her windows covered in a fresh layer of pristine white.

She stood close to the glass and stared out, her breaths creating a small circle of condensation that grew and shrank to match her inhales and exhales.

Locating her snow barometer (nothing more than a perfectly placed bench sitting on the edge of the gardens) she could see that they hadn't gotten too much snow - maybe two inches, at most.

But it was still beautiful - a perfect blanket lying atop the world, untouched by human hands. The sun was glistening off the surface, creating sparkles of light that looked like thousands of diamonds had been cast about their lawn.

Standing this close to the window, she felt less bitter cold slipping through the glass than had been prevalent the last few days. In fact, there was actually a bit of warmth touching her skin as the sun's rays hit the side of the house.

It was actually going to be a nice day - probably even a tolerable one to spend outdoors.

Retrieving her phone, she thought she had a good suggestion for what she and Ruby could do today - if Ruby was willing. Something that would give them the opportunity to speak privately...without interruption...

It might be a little too early for the girl to be awake, but she texted anyway, wanting to make sure the brunette remembered their agreement the instant she woke.

Surprisingly, she received a message in reply before she'd even made it downstairs for breakfast.

She couldn't imagine why the brunette was awake so early, but receiving an affirmative answer to her idea lightened her mood incredibly.

If Ruby was still willing to see her, then things couldn't be that bad.

Maybe Yang hadn't said anything, after all. Or maybe Ruby was at least willing to hear her side.

After forcing down half a grapefruit for breakfast, her morning was spent trying on dresses for her mother - the woman wanting to select the perfect gown to be worn in a little over a week.

Nearly a dozen different colors and styles had been crafted in her measurements and shipped directly to the house for their convenience. Some minor alterations might need to be done, but a seamstress could be called at a moment's notice to do the required work.

Of course, she was to keep all of the dresses, but only one would be the 'winner' - the dress to be worn for the rehearsal dinner.

Even though it was a tedious process, it at least took up a good portion of time - taking her almost all the way up to when she needed to get ready to meet Ruby.

After donning her warmest winter coat, gloves, and a scarf, she went downstairs to find her best pair of winter boots - ones that would withstand walking through the snow.

Finding an available driver, she recited the address to Ruby's home and was immediately on the way, feeling an anxious energy begin to take over the nearer they came.

She wasn't very familiar with nervous habits, as her family's status had always insulated her from that all consuming emotion...but she'd recently discovered one where she would play with the ring on her finger, sliding it on and off repeatedly or just gripping it as if she might take it off.

She couldn't be certain when the habit had formed, but she noticed herself doing it all the time - like right now.

Touching her hand to her finger, she realized that the ring was currently sheltered by her gloves - an outline of the object pushing through the fabric.

She pulled off the glove to remove it, only for the diamond to snag on the interior lining, a small tearing sound issuing a moment later.

With a big sigh, she stored the ring in its special compartment before flipping the glove inside out - finding a small rip in the woolen lining. It wasn't too large and, thankfully, hadn't torn through the leather - no one else would notice except for her.

The streets became more and more familiar as they closed the distance to the apartment. The more 'business' oriented section of Vale was left behind, making room for a middle income area filled with apartment buildings and smaller houses smushed in between.

It was with an ounce of trepidation that she watched Ruby's building slide into view - her anxiety only increasing when she found the girl already waiting outside the building for her - Zwei sitting patiently beside her in the snow on the sidewalk.

The sight was soothing and nerve wracking at the same time.

While she usually didn't know what to expect from Ruby in terms of what the girl might unexpectedly say or do, she had learned to expect a positive, sunny attitude that could lift her out of the darkest of times.

But what would today bring?

"It might be awhile, if you want to come back in an hour or two," she directed towards the man in the driver's seat before letting herself out of the vehicle.

Stepping onto the sidewalk, a puff of air was visible exiting her mouth, but the sun was still doing its part in warming her skin - creating an odd cold/warm combination that was difficult to reconcile.

But she forgot all about the weather when Ruby looked at her, a small smile appearing on the girl's face.

"Hey, Weiss."

It only took those two words for her to know that something was wrong - the greeting far less enthusiastic than usual, the smile far smaller than usual. And Ruby's silver eyes were dull today - containing none of the encapsulating sheen they normally possessed.

The girl's somber mood seemed to extend to Zwei, as well. The dog stood up and wagged his tail, but it was a soft, mellow wag very much unlike his usual hyperactive whip.

Two words, and she knew - Yang had told her.

Ruby knew that she'd been at lunch yesterday instead of in the business meetings she'd said she was going to.

Ruby knew that she'd missed the last winter track meet to have lunch with Cardin.

Even though she'd seen it coming, the realization felt like ice water had been dumped into her veins - blood running cold as panic gripped her chest.

"Hello," she replied, forcing a normal smile even though she felt her lower lip quiver in a rush of emotions. "You guys ready to go?"

Ruby nodded her head as they turned and set off down the sidewalk - making their way towards the park where they'd first met.

Usually their silences were comfortable - pauses in conversation that were enjoyable to stay within for a short period of time. Most of the time, Ruby would hum softly to herself, the soft sound melodic and calming to Weiss' ears. But the way the brunette was staring down at her feet today, completely silent, put her on edge.

What was she supposed to say - where should she begin? Would Ruby even bring it up?

She didn't want things to be like this...Ruby's downtrodden aura could break her heart into pieces.

"So, how were the meetings? Learn anything cool?"

When Ruby looked over to hear her answer, she felt the first crack appear in the very center of her heart.

There was hurt in those silver eyes.

She needed to fix this - she needed to fix it right now.

Before her heart broke apart.

"Oh, my dad canceled them last minute and dragged me to lunch before some 'family outings,'" she replied nonchalantly, the pressure of agony in her own chest growing when Ruby looked relieved by the answer.

But she continued anyway.

"And lunch was...not fun. But I ran into Yang and Blake celebrating their anniversary."

Most of it had been true...she _had_ been dragged to lunch and it had _not _been fun.

And Ruby was smiling now, nodding her head enthusiastically as the glimmer of pain disappeared completely from her eyes.

"Yeah, they mentioned seeing you! I told them there must have been a change of plans!"

And just like that, Ruby was back to normal - innocently trusting Weiss when she shouldn't have. The brunette seemed vindicated, even, her words suggesting that she had argued with the two girls in Weiss' favor.

Her stomach turned in revulsion from the lies she'd just told...from the way Ruby believed everything that came out of her mouth. The brunette trusted her and she had just taken advantage of that trust, again.

But at least Ruby was happy...although the price of the girl's continued happiness was growing steeper and steeper by the second.

She recognized the flower shop on the left hand side of the street as the neighborhoods thinned to allow businesses space to operate. The park entrance was to their right, the area currently motionless and abandoned. All of the trees were now barren, save for a few evergreens that stood tall and proud amongst the brown skeletons. A thin line of white was visible upon every surface - from the benches, to the branches, to the pathways.

With so little snow accumulating, the sidewalks hadn't been shoveled - leaving the snow undisturbed but for the footprints of the people who'd been there before them.

She immediately noticed that Ruby liked to step where there were no imprints, even if it meant the brunette needed to leap from one spot to the next in order to leave a fresh boot print in her wake. The childlike behavior brought a smile to her lips, admiring the way Ruby could find such simple things to take delight in.

For her part, she tried to step where everyone had already walked - those slushy areas seeming safer in terms of not slipping on an unseen patch of ice.

When Ruby unclipped Zwei from his leash, the dog trotted ahead where the grass had once been - each of his steps leaving a tiny little pawprint behind. He didn't have to worry about stepping in anyone else's footsteps - he had the grass all to himself.

"I'm really sorry that I missed your last track meet, Ruby…I would have much rather been there, believe me."

She could probably never apologize enough for that…but she wanted to at least clear the air of it for now.

"That's alright," Ruby replied easily, waving one gloved hand through the air. "You can just make it up to me by coming to one next semester! It'll be my last official track season, after all."

"Deal," she replied immediately.

"And if you _really_ wanted to make it up to me, you could come to more than one," Ruby suggested, turning to give her a lopsided grin and a wiggle of her brow.

She laughed at the proposal - the girl clearly understanding that she felt badly enough she might just agree to something like that. It would be nice to go back to a competition and watch Ruby win - watch the girl best all of the other competitors thrown her way.

But it was then that an unwelcome thought popped into her head - one that stole the oxygen from her lungs.

She would be married then.

Did Ruby realize that?

Would they be spending time together like this after that happened? Would Ruby still want her to come to track meets?

What will happen to them - to _this_ \- after the wedding?

She knew that anything more than friends would have to stop - but that's all she was sure of. It wasn't as if she could risk rumors cropping up about a mysterious relationship...

But she didn't want anything to change; she wanted everything to stay like it was.

An impossibility, she knew. There was a sense she couldn't shake that Ruby would...feel much differently...about her when she was married. Likely so different that they couldn't even think about remaining friends.

Would that mean that...they wouldn't even talk to one another?

"You want to hear what Emerald tried to do this time?"

"Please," she responded quickly, wanting to hear anything that would draw her mind away from her current thoughts.

"Ok, well _first_, she tried to get in my head before the first race - saying 'I hope you don't fall on your face again' or something like that. She wasn't even in that race with me! She just walked by and said it!"

"That's pretty cruel…" she said, even though her lips refused to frown due to how widely Ruby was gesturing while they walked along the snowy path - Zwei buzzing along beside them. She already knew that this story had a happy ending, so it was difficult to become too upset about it right now.

"But I _didn't_ fall because _sometimes_ I manage to stay on two feet for an entire race. So I ended up in the finals with her, but I got the inside lane and she was lane six. You know what she tried to do then?"

"What did she do?" she asked when it became clear Ruby wanted her to pose the question.

"She tried to get her lane switched!" Ruby said with a laugh. "Which is so dumb...they won't switch lanes - we only stay in them for a few seconds anyway!"

"What was her reasoning?"

"Something about how the lighting in lane six bothered her eyes…" Ruby replied with a giggle.

Letting out a little laugh herself, she had to shake her head at how ridiculous this girl sounded.

"She's really something…"

"Yeah! So, that didn't really work out for her. Yang said she looked soooo mad when we lined up to start."

Ruby probably hadn't meant it to be a dig at her absence, but she still flinched in discomfort and jealousy when reminded that Yang had made it there when she had not.

"And then the other girl from her school false started - uh...started running before the gun went off...so we had to line up allll over again," Ruby continued with a shake of her head. "But the next time we started clean and I just *whoosh*ed away from them!"

She grinned at the way the brunette clapped her hands together, gloves muffling the noise, before shooting one hand away from her in a 'whoosh'ing motion.

"Anyway, the inside lane is awesome because you don't have to merge - you just keep running as fast as you can until the race is over. You never see anyone in front of you...it's just a wide open track. It's almost like running alone, if you didn't hear the sound of footsteps behind you."

"_Chasing_ you," she added, making Ruby laugh.

"Yeah, that makes you want to run a _little_ faster."

She could understand how much Ruby enjoyed the feeling just described - the girl speaking with a smile on her face the entire time.

"I didn't beat my personal record, but it was still good enough to win!" Ruby finished. "And Emerald placed third, but ended up being disqualified after the fact for grabbing this girl's arm to slow her down."

"Idiots never learn," she commented with a roll of her eyes, satisfied that the girl hadn't gotten away with her antics this time.

"That's why she's still in school! She was held back - her and Mercury both. They aren't transfers like Pyrrha."

"Really?"

It was surprising to hear of people being held back these days...at least, to her it was. Most of the people she'd gone to school with had been busy trying to be moved _up_ a grade.

"Yup! At least, that's what I think happened. I've heard other people say they actually spent a couple years in a detention facility in Vacuo - something about armed robbery? But I think they just got held back, but let everyone _believe _they were in jail so they look all cool and dangerous."

She looked over at Ruby with wide eyes, the brunette not noticing her glance while watching Zwei zig zag the sidewalk in front of them.

The comment was worrisome, even more so due to the offhand way Ruby had said it.

Of course Ruby believed the sweet, innocent version of the story...but sometimes tales really were as nefarious as they appeared.

Maybe she was overreacting, but she should probably do some digging into Emerald's background. A girl with that type of history...who was so competitive with Ruby...there was no telling what Emerald might do if she continued losing races to the brunette.

It might even be worth hiring an investigator to figure out the girl's past, just to be on the safe side.

When Ruby turned off of the path and onto a patch of undisturbed snow, she knew exactly where they were headed next. Making sure to tread more carefully upon the invisible trail, they quickly found themselves standing in front of the angel fountain Ruby had shown her weeks ago.

The water had long been drained and the fountain switched off, but the statue in the middle was just as beautiful as the first day she'd seen it. The angel on top was now covered in a thin layer of white snow, but the small cherubs underneath were still protected from any inclement weather.

The snow in the clearing was smooth save for the footsteps they'd created on the way in here - they must have been the first ones to travel this way so far today. Zwei was quickly roughing up the snow though, running back and forth while smelling every surface he could find.

When the two of them stood in front of the fountain, Zwei jumped into the now empty pool on his own accord - not bothering to wait for Ruby's approval. The little dog then ran in a few circles before nosing his way up to the statue, where he sniffed the base curiously before lifting a leg to relieve himself.

"Zwei!" Ruby yelled in surprise, watching him with wide eyes. "What are you doing?"

She giggled when the dog looked at them unrepentantly before running along to smell the sides of the pool, jumping back out after several seconds and rushing to a nearby tree.

Ruby chuckled, turning towards her while shaking her head - strands of brunette hair falling across silver eyes.

"That's not my dog."

She burst into laughter at the comment, her eyes meeting Ruby's.

"Don't look at me - he's not my dog either," she replied with a smile.

Her breath caught in surprise when Ruby unexpectedly took ahold of her hands, the girl looking down at her intently. Her initial reaction was to pull away in case someone was watching, but those adoring silver eyes prevented her from reacting upon instinct.

They were alone here anyway...there was no reason they couldn't share this moment...she just wished their gloves weren't getting in the way of her feeling the brunette's soft palms.

"You know...you're really pretty when you smile…" Ruby said softly, cheeks blushing ever so slightly at the words.

"Thank you…" she whispered back, feeling her own cheeks heat up from the compliment. She was never sure how to accept such words of praise, especially from someone she could write ballads about.

"And even prettier when you laugh."

Opening her mouth to respond, she found no words to say. There was something about the way Ruby was looking at her right now...an intense affection flowing towards her...she wasn't sure how to appropriately reply.

"Weiss, I..."

Ruby paused and turned briefly away from her, the flush on the girl's cheeks deepening in color.

And, just like that, understanding hit her like a bolt of lightning on a calm day - appearing out of nowhere, with no warning.

The dots connected, the stars aligned, and everything suddenly made so much more sense.

So much more horrible, horrible sense.

Please don't say what I think you're going to say, she begged the girl in her mind. Please don't put those words out into the world.

"Ruby, you don't -"

"Weiss - I love you!"

The words froze her - stopping her breathing instantly. Even without oxygen, her heart continued to pound loudly in her ears - as if trying to jump right out of her chest.

Don't say something I can't return...

Having shouted them in her nervousness, Ruby was now blushing even more furiously. The girl looked down at the ground for several seconds, trying to collect herself before turning silver eyes back upon her.

"Weiss...I'm in love with you…" Ruby said quietly, eyes determined as her hands still gripped Weiss' tightly, refusing to let go.

This should have been one of the happiest moments of her life...she should have been laughing, hugging Ruby, crying tears of joy…

This should have been one of the happiest moments of her life...and it absolutely was. But it wasn't.

Her heart felt like it had been torn into two pieces - one half dying while the other thrived. There was something so wonderful, magical, _powerful_ about those words...

Ruby fidgeted nervously when she'd spent a few seconds too long staring at the girl in shock. But when she opened her mouth to respond, only a small, strangled noise slipped out.

"You don't have to…"

She cut off Ruby's forgiving words with a kiss, dropping the brunette's hands in favor of grasping two fistfuls of the girl's coat and pulling them together.

When she felt the girl's hands slide behind her back, she wrapped her arms around Ruby's neck and pulled herself up on her tiptoes to deepen the kiss.

She kissed Ruby as passionately as she could - as if the girl might evaporate before her eyes at any second, as if this moment was so fleeting it could be taken away from her in a flash.

She wanted to be the only one Ruby ever said those three words to...she wanted to be the only one those silver eyes ever looked at this way...she wanted to be the only one Ruby ever kissed…

Because she loved Ruby too...

But she could be none of those things - and she could say nothing in return. It wouldn't be fair. She could only hope that her lips could somehow communicate her feelings to the girl - that Ruby could understand how deeply she cared for her.

How much she wished they could remain like this forever - that their lives weren't pulling them apart…

When they finally broke apart, breathing large puffs of air into the cold, Ruby looked down at her so...lovingly...she felt her own heart swell painfully. And when Ruby smiled, there was no sliver of pain in her eyes, there was no disappointment…

Ruby did know. Even if she hadn't said it, Ruby knew.

What are you doing, Weiss.

She jumped when something brushed against her leg, looking down to find Zwei sitting right beside her foot. The dog was staring up at her expectantly, little tail wagging back and forth across the snow.

"He uh…"

Coughing when her voice came out raspy from emotions, she tried again.

"He looks like he's ready to go."

"Aww Zwei - always know how to ruin the moment, don't ya," Ruby replied, playfully nudging her pet with the toe of her boot. "Guess we have to do what the dog wants, don't we?"

She looked at Ruby's hand when the girl offered it to her, pausing for just a second before taking it. They walked out of the park hand and hand - not a single soul in sight as they made their way slowly back to Ruby's home. They walked as slowly as their feet would allow, dawdling in every sense of the word as they attempted to fill every possible second with each other, enjoying the isolation they'd been temporarily granted.

It was as if the universe had decided that this would be their moment, and theirs alone.

Ruby didn't release her hand until they had reached the apartment door, and even then the girl only did so in order to retrieve a set of keys from her pocket.

"Do you want to hang out tomorrow?" Ruby asked while unlocking the door and pushing it open, releasing Zwei so he could run into the apartment for a drink of water.

"Sure, but don't you have practice?" she asked in return.

A long time ago she'd memorized Ruby's practice schedule so she would know when to expect the girl to be busy. The lapses in communication had been far too disconcerting otherwise.

"No more practices until next year," Ruby replied with a shake of her head. "We'll have our wrap up meeting and clean out our lockers in a couple days, but that's it!"

"Oh...then yes, I would love to 'hang out.'"

There would probably be some errands to run for her mother first, but she knew she would be free at some point during the day.

"Cool - just text me whenever!"

She smiled, having just earned the unexpected surprise of no more track practices. That likely meant the brunette would have a lot more free time that they could spend together over the next few days.

Her breathing slowed when Ruby leaned close to her, the smell of rose scented shampoo washing over her.

"Soo...think I could get a goodnight kiss?"

She instantly sputtered at the unexpected...and absurd...question.

"Night? It's not even dinnertime yet!"

"Yeahhh...but if you give me one now, I think it'll tide me over. I think," Ruby replied, eyes twinkling playfully. "Unless you'd like to come back over when I'm about to go to sleep and give me one then?"

Rolling her eyes at the second suggestion, she leaned forward and gave Ruby a long, passionate kiss - allowing her lips to linger a lot longer than she probably should have.

"Goodnight," she whispered, breathing the words directly into Ruby's still slightly open mouth before backing away with a blush.

"Goodnight, Weiss," Ruby responded before quickly leaning in and stealing a quick kiss - laughing her way back into the apartment when Weiss swatted at her. "I'll text you in a bit!"

With a smile still on her lips, she shook her head at the girl's antics and made her way to the elevators.

When she got into the elevator, however, she felt her smile drop.

She wished that the feeling Ruby filled her with wouldn't fade so quickly...she wished that it could linger like an imprint, providing happiness enough to last her the car ride home.

But as soon as she left Ruby's side, anxiety and helplessness seemed to return. She knew why, but didn't want to admit it to herself -

The number of days they had remaining could be counted on less than two full hands now...

Stepping out into the ground floor lobby, she was so caught up in her thoughts that she almost walked right past Blake and Yang.

"Hey, Weiss."

"Hello, Weiss."

The greetings brought her eyes up in surprise - finding the two girls standing directly in front of her.

"Oh, hello," she replied, trying to add a polite smile, as well.

"You and Ruby just get back?" Yang asked her cordially.

"Yeah, we took Zwei for a walk."

"Ah…"

An uncomfortable silence settled between the three of them after that statement, allowing little room for more pleasantries.

"Anyway, I hope you both have a good afternoon," she said before moving to step around them, deciding it would be best for her to take her leave.

The glance they shared didn't go unnoticed by her, but she chose to ignore it as she passed by and pushed open the front doors. They were probably still just upset at her for lying to them yesterday...and denying she knew who they were.

She was already to the sidewalk when the sound of the front door opening and closing reached her ears.

"Hey Weiss, wait up."

Pausing at the words just steps from the waiting limousine, she turned and waited for the girl to jog over to her. A couple feet away, Yang stopped, shoving both hands into her front pockets in a gesture Weiss must have seen Ruby do a thousand times.

"I hope you understand why I told her," the girl began, the pseudo apology genuine but not pleading. "She's my sister, and I'll always look out for her...even before myself."

"I understand," she replied softly.

And she did. If she'd been as close to Winter as Ruby was to Yang, she could imagine doing anything in the world for the girl, even if it meant telling her something she might not want to hear...to protect her.

"I'm guessing that you guys got it all sorted out though?"

"Yes, we sorted everything out," she replied, sidestepping another lie, knowing the blonde wouldn't approve of _how_ they'd sorted it out.

But Yang nodded her head in acceptance of that answer - in some respects, just as gullible as her younger sister.

"Good...I've been wanting to talk to you for a while now...about Ruby and...what the two of you have been doing together."

"We've just been spending time together," she replied casually, hoping Yang couldn't tell that the two of them had been lip locked just minutes before.

But her comment earned her a disbelieving glance.

"Maybe I don't come off as the smartest person in the world, but please don't treat me like an idiot."

Her mouth fell open in dismay, surprised by the unrelenting tone in the girl's voice.

"I don't think you're an -"

"Weiss, she thinks the two of you are dating!" Yang broke in unexpectedly, skipping any back and forth and getting straight to the point. "She thinks you'll leave him."

Whatever innocent act she'd been trying to maintain dissolved immediately.

"I...but I can't do that."

"What are you doing with her then? Is this just some weird fantasy you're fulfilling before you're married or what?"

Yang had both hands on her hips now, posture demanding a truthful answer.

"No! No - I...care...about her. _A lot_. But I can't just _do_ whatever I want," she answered, trying to be as honest as possible while still skirting around the real issue.

"Why not?"

The question was asked so genuinely...as if Yang actually couldn't come up with a single reason why she would marry someone she didn't want to. It was actually quite remarkable...how both Yang and Ruby were almost..._confused_ as to why she had to do this.

She felt some built up frustration leak out when she answered - frustration at her family, at the world she'd been raised in...at everything.

"Because!" she said forcefully, throwing her hands out in exasperation. "People like me don't have that luxury."

The words came out wrong - she knew it the instant Yang set her jaw in defiance.

"Right...as opposed to people like _us_, who get to run around doing whatever the hell we want."

"That's not what I meant…"

"Then what do you mean, Weiss? Are you saying that your duty to be the banner girl for your family means you can't love who you want?"

"That's exactly what it means!" she shouted at the blonde, tears suddenly welling in her eyes.

What did Yang know about the pressure to maintain a family name?

What did Yang know about the weight of responsibility to carry on a legacy that had been built over generations and generations of hard work and sacrifice?

Yang thought that she could just _tell_ her parents to call off the wedding? That she could tell them what _she_ wanted to do?

She'd never once been successful in accomplishing a _single thing_ her parents had been against. She couldn't even _cut her hair_ if her mother didn't want her to.

Taking several deep breaths, she tried to calm herself down while Yang continued to stare at her - taken aback by the sudden outburst.

"It's not my decision to make."

Her voice was hollow - dead - the acceptance of her fate shining through.

And Yang's face fell in disappointment.

"Then if you're just messing around, you need to stop right now. Ruby doesn't deserve to be toyed with like that. You're just going to break her heart...and from the looks of it, yours too."

The girl took one step like she was going to turn to leave, but hesitated for a second, studying her closely with caring lilac eyes.

"Do the right thing, Weiss. Ruby doesn't see the future you and I both know is coming. Don't make me regret not talking to her myself," the blonde said softly before walking away, leaving her frozen to the sidewalk.

She stared at the front doors for a long time after Yang had disappeared through them - jumping when her driver touched her shoulder with a quiet 'Miss?' Snapping out of her trance, she got into the vehicle so she could be driven home - her mind in turmoil the entire way.

Was what Yang said true? Was she just using Ruby?

She didn't feel like she was...but that didn't mean...did Ruby really think she could stop the wedding and they could be together?

She couldn't stop the wedding...she couldn't - her parents would never allow it. They would do _whatever_ it took to make sure it went through. If she so much as mentioned any reservations about the marriage, they would have her locked inside the house immediately.

But never before had she experienced something as painful as not saying those three words back to Ruby...the three words she felt every second they were together, the three words she knew to be true…

The three words that she could never allow to escape from her lips.

She wasn't free to love whomever she wanted…

She couldn't fall in love with a stranger in a park and live happily ever after…

A fairy tale, her life was not.


	22. Chapter 22

**To the fan whose birthday is today - happy birthday! I don't know why you requested more heartbreak for your birthday...lol but more than happy to oblige!**

**To you non-birthday peoples, I hope you enjoy the next installment of this...sadness. The story is 29 chapters total, so that gives you an idea of where the end is.**

* * *

Why me?

The question had been running through her head on repeat since the day before - ever since Ruby had put three tiny, life altering words out into the world.

Why love someone like her - someone broken, weak, and controlled by her parents? Why love someone who couldn't love in return?

What had Ruby possibly found to love in her?

It made no sense...but, even so, she knew exactly what Ruby's answer to her questions would be.

The brunette would giggle and say, 'because you're funny and smart and pretty and cute and kind and...' all the other compliments the girl had lavished upon her in the short time they'd known each other.

Because to Ruby, she wasn't Weiss Schnee, the rich girl who was formal and stiff and proper. She was just...Weiss, the girl who could laugh and joke and not take herself so seriously.

The girl who could laugh at herself after mistaking Ruby's outstretched hand as an invitation to kiss the back of the girl's hand like some sort of prince.

"Y-you're just s-so cute!" the brunette gushed between her own laughter, which only made Weiss blush further.

"I...thought you wanted a kiss!" she replied with a big smile regardless of her warm cheeks.

"I was showingggg you my tattoo!" Ruby teased, waving the back of her hand in front of Weiss again.

Catching the rapidly moving limb, she held it still so that she could actually take a better look at it.

In the center of the girl's hand was a colorful red, white, and silver rocket ship. It was drawn in a cartoon art style, the sides of the ship bulging outward in an unrealistic manner. She ran her thumb across the image, savoring the feeling of Ruby's soft skin as the small picture moved back and forth.

"I hope this is temporary," she deadpanned, unable to prevent a smile when Ruby laughed.

"Of course it's fake! I could never get a tattoo on my own - you'd have to come with me so I could squeeze your hand suuuuuper hard and maybe break some fingers!"

"I, uh...I'm honored?"

"You should be!"

She grinned at the girl, never growing tired of their banter.

"Are you ready to go?" she finally asked, waving towards the vehicle parked behind her. She'd gotten there only a few minutes ago and had once again been surprised when Ruby had immediately raced out the front door before the car had even pulled to a stop.

"Sure! But uh…"

Ruby glanced quickly towards the man holding the door open for them before leaning forward and lowering her voice to a whisper.

"But I do want a kiss."

Blushing, she grabbed Ruby's shoulder and pushed the brunette past the driver - the man beginning to look at them curiously. With a giggle, Ruby jumped inside and took a seat with Weiss right on her trail.

In between the time the door shut and the man made his way around the vehicle to the front seat, she grabbed Ruby's cheeks and turned the girl's face towards her - planting a hasty kiss on Ruby's lips before sitting back in the seat, tucking stray strands of hair behind her ear as she tried to act nonchalant.

Which would have been much easier to do without Ruby grinning at her like a madwoman.

"Where to, Miss?" the driver asked as he buckled himself in, none the wiser to what had just occurred right underneath his nose.

"Where would you like to go?" she directed towards Ruby.

Usually they had a plan before they got into the car, but today Ruby had told her to 'come over and we'll figure it out then.' It was a little...unorganized...for her liking, but the brunette seemed completely unperturbed by their lack of direction.

Maybe this was what 'hanging out' truly meant.

"Where do _you_ want to go, Weiss?" Ruby asked her in return. "We always do what I want to do - let's do something you want to do!"

The question made her pause.

Where she wanted to go? What she wanted to do?

It wasn't very often that those questions were asked of her. Usually, she was _told _where to go and what to do.

"Well, I don't know…"

"What do you like to do?"

That question was much easier to answer - she liked spending time with Ruby. She liked coming up with things Ruby would enjoy. She liked experiencing new things with the girl - she liked laughing together, talking, holding hands, kissing…

None of those were entirely helpful right now, unless she told their driver to take a hike so the two of them could spend some time alone in the back seat.

Other things she liked? Playing the piano, when it wasn't too pressing on her soul. Or…

"Well, I've been wanting to…"

Her voice stalled, realizing that it was a horribly boring suggestion and completely ill suited for her present company, but Ruby had already perked up - attentively waiting for her answer.

"You've wanted toooo...what? Come on, Weiss, it can be anything!"

Would Ruby really be willing to do _anything_ with her? To go anywhere?

"I've wanted to go back to the art museum…" she admitted.

"Done! Let's go!"

"Really?"

"Yeah, of course - sounds fun to me. Kind sir! Take us to the art museum!" the brunette called to the man in front.

"Which one?"

Ruby immediately turned back to her with wide eyes, an expression that drew a giggle from her lips.

"There's more than one?"

With another laugh, she patted the girl's knee reassuringly.

"Vale Museum of Art," she directed to the driver.

The vehicle rolled into motion a moment later and Ruby grinned at her - a smile she had to return.

Glancing down, she immediately retracted her hand when she realized she'd left it on Ruby's knee in a far too familiar manner. She sent Ruby a playful glare when the brunette giggled happily, undoubtedly noticing her embarrassed reaction.

She would never admit this out loud, but she greatly enjoyed riding in a vehicle with Ruby - and her reason had little to do with the way the girl would chatter incessantly the entire time (although that was obscenely cute), but much more to do with how close the brunette would sit to her.

The first time they'd been in the car together, she'd respectfully given Ruby ample personal space, as was expected when traveling with a guest. However, the girl had then spent the entire ride scooting closer to her while she struggled to maintain some semblance of distance.

Eventually, she'd realized that Ruby _wanted_ to sit close to her, so she allowed the brunette to sit wherever she wanted - even if that meant the girl was seated practically on top of her.

Like right now, Ruby had crossed her right leg over her left and was allowing her knee to hang directly over Weiss' lap. It almost seemed like an invitation to lay a hand upon the girl's leg, especially with the way the brunette was bouncing up and down right now.

A few more seconds of bouncing and she bit - resting one hand gently on top of the girl's knee, steadying it instantly.

They shared a smile - Ruby's wide and bright, hers timid and unsure.

_Is this just some weird fantasy you're fulfilling..._

It didn't feel like this was a fantasy, being here together.

This was something else entirely...something she so desperately needed in order to keep breathing - to keep living - for as long as possible.

Even though she thought she was behaving normally, Ruby must have picked up on her more sullen mood - the entire ride to the museum, the girl whispered jokes in her ear, getting her to burst out laughing more than a few times.

By the time they were being dropped off on the sidewalk in front of the museum, her mood had lifted incredibly due to the girl's efforts. But, then again, it was nearly impossibly to stay upset when she could feel Ruby's warm body pressed against her side, when she could hear that light-hearted laugh, when she could see every speck of detail in those silver eyes…

It was amazing, really, how much happiness she felt by merely being in Ruby's presence.

But maybe this was what it felt like to be loved...and to love in return.

She didn't allow them to dawdle on the sidewalk for long - the air too bone-chilling cold today to spend more time exposed than necessary. It seemed like ages ago that the sun had blessed them with warmth - even though it had just been yesterday when it was warm enough to spend a little time outside.

Guiding Ruby tenderly by the elbow, she led the way swiftly across the concrete entryway towards the front doors.

The building they were approaching was large and white with many glass windows, but it looked like something a child had built with block toys - a square base on the right side with a rounded dome on the left. The upper level was alternatively flat or rounded, depending upon which angle the building was being viewed from. The windows themselves were in unique shapes - circles, squares, triangles - in order to mesh more cohesively with the shape of the walls.

The entire structure made absolutely no sense from an architectural standpoint, but that was the idea - the museum itself was a work of art.

"I always wondered what this place was!" Ruby quipped from beside her, eyes trained upward as they made their way to the front doors. "I thought it was some sort of science place though…"

She laughed at the thought of scientists using such an inefficient and 'artsy' building for their experiments. Her family actually owned a rather large lab downtown - and it was as boring and sterile as could possibly be.

Ruby skipped forward to open the front door, giving her a little bow as she walked inside with a soft 'thank you' for the girl's courtesy. The room they entered was large - the ceiling two stories away and every surface painted pearly white. There was a desk directly in front of them to purchase admission, with two large archways cut into the wall behind it - the entrance to the actual museum. A small gift shop and cafe were located off to their right.

Signaling for the brunette to give her just a moment, she walked purposefully up to the counter - noting that there seemed to be very few people here today. The cold weather had probably convinced most potential visitors to stay in their own homes rather than venture out.

"How may I help you?" the young woman seated at the counter asked when she approached, eyes lifting from the computer screen to give her a friendly smile.

"Admission for two - for Weiss Schnee," she said, pulling her wallet out of her small purse at the same moment the woman's eyes widened in surprise.

"Oh! Weiss...Schnee, you said? You can go right on in, Miss Schnee."

Forcing a small smile, she dropped her wallet and turned back towards Ruby, wishing that she hadn't said what she just had. Apparently, dropping her name was much more of a habit than she thought it was...she was so used to coming here with her parents though, and her mother always did exactly what she'd just done.

Their family had donated a lot of money to the museum over the years...enough to warrant celebrity treatment whenever they stopped by. And, if one looked closely (which she would try to prevent Ruby from doing), the Schnee name could be seen as donors of many of the pieces.

"Will you need anything while you're here?" the woman called after her. "We could have a curator give you and your guest a private tour?"

Pausing, she considered the offer for no longer than a half second before shaking her head.

"No, thank you. We'll be quite alright by ourselves."

Having the perspective of one of the curators would be fun on any other day but today. As greedy as this made her sound, she didn't want to share her time with Ruby with anyone else - not even a tour guide.

Plus, she should know enough about the works to provide some meaningful insight. At least, she hoped. But if Ruby turned out to be as good at art history as she was at ice skating…

Well, she would just have to hope that Yang had never had her eye on one of the girls who worked the front desk here.

Waving Ruby towards her, the brunette was back by her side in a heartbeat. Together, the two of them walked through one of the archways and into the room beyond.

The first hall was spacious and bright white just as the entryway had been - with paintings hung on the walls few and far in between. The floor space in the center of the room was allotted for several sculptures - various bronze or plaster shapes twisted into the shapes of people or abstract objects. Each piece in the hall also had a small placard near it which gave background on both the work and the artist.

But her current focus was much less on the paintings as it was on the girl walking beside her.

She could immediately tell that Ruby and museums didn't mix. The girl's lively energy was completely out of place in such a...still...environment. If she listened closely enough, she could practically hear Ruby's cells buzzing with life.

This was quite possibly the world's worst match of personality and activity. Why had she even mentioned it?

She hadn't been here in quite some time, so had been desiring to visit again. There was something about the quiet atmosphere that she found incredibly calming...and there were several paintings here which were among her favorite of all time.

But she could always come back by herself…it wouldn't be worth wasting Ruby's day just so she could look at some pretty paintings.

Glancing towards Ruby, her concerns about the girl having fun were instantly swept away. The brunette was in bright spirits - humming happily with a small grin on her lips.

Noticing her glance, Ruby gave her a beaming smile...which she immediately returned.

The paintings likely wouldn't hold the girl's attention for very long, but that was alright. It was the thought that counted, and it was very sweet that Ruby had wanted to go somewhere she wanted to go.

This would just be a completely different experience than what she was used to - not that that would be a bad thing, at all.

The thought brightened her smile as they walked up to the first painting - Ruby nearly skipping along beside her. The girl's energy added a very interesting aspect to being here...something uniquely enjoyable she would have never expected to adore.

And she could only imagine what Ruby's thoughts would be on the first painting…

The canvas was a large square that probably equaled her height in either direction. It had been created by a well known artist who'd been alive some centuries ago. The man had had an avid fascination with colors...any and all colors. All of his paintings would use various shades of a single color to create an image.

At least, people _believed_ that he'd painted images amongst the brush strokes...in her opinion, the man had done nothing of the sort. He'd wanted the viewer to imagine what was there - to see things that didn't actually exist.

This was definitely one of the more difficult ones - done in various shades of the color white.

"Uh...clouds?" Ruby guessed, squinting her eyes as if that might provide her with a different image.

"I see a snowstorm."

She smiled when Ruby furrowed her brow in confusion.

"It's not about the picture, anyway," she began explaining. "It's not about what you see or don't see, or who the artist is. It's all about the way it makes you feel."

Ruby turned back to the picture thoughtfully, wrinkling her brow in an adorable display of concentration.

"It makes me feel...clean. What about you, Weiss?"

Laughing at the comment, she turned towards the painting on their left so they could move on, the brunette dutifully trailing her.

"Clean is a very good answer," she replied, praying that Ruby wouldn't press the question any further.

Being lost in a sea of white snow...unable to see anything besides the blinding white flurry…

It made her feel so incredibly alone and...hopeless.

The next painting had Ruby laughing the moment they stepped in front of it.

It was a painting...of people looking at a painting.

"Someone could be painting us right now, Weiss!" the girl commented, even throwing a look behind them as if she might catch the artist at work. "But why would anyone make this?"

"For the challenge," she answered, pointing one hand towards the canvas. "Look how he used two completely different art styles for the people versus the paintings within the frames. There's fluid, long strokes and short, quick brush strokes. He actually managed to create a painting within a painting."

"I guess that's pretty cool…" Ruby replied, eyes darting off to the next painting in the hall after only a few seconds.

Rolling her eyes playfully at the girl's short attention span, she followed the brunette towards the next painting.

She'd been pretty accurate about the art not holding the girl's attention for long, but at this pace, they'd be through the entire museum in no time.

They finished analyzing the sculptures and paintings in the first hall in record time before moving to the second area. The brevity of their stay would have frustrated someone like her mother, who enjoyed pointing out every tiny detail in each piece, but she found that she was enjoying herself quite a lot. She was giggling constantly at the offhand comments the brunette would make - the two of them usually earning sideways glances from the few other guests.

Before long, they'd made it to the room which held her favorite painting - one entire wall devoted to the masterpiece.

Grabbing Ruby's elbow, she dragged the girl over to it, foregoing all the other works in the room for the time being. She didn't know why she was so excited...but she really wanted to share this with Ruby.

The painting was actually spread across three canvases - the final effect being a wide, panoramic image of a single, beautiful red rose in full bloom.

The innermost point of the flower was on the center canvas and had been painted as if illuminated from within - bright red. But as the paint drifted in either direction towards the outer canvases, the red grew deeper and deeper as the mysterious light faded away.

Releasing Ruby's arm, she walked up to the image, standing merely a couple feet from it while examining the brush strokes clearly visible from this distance.

"This is my favorite painting in the entire museum," she admitted softly before turning back towards Ruby. "Isn't it beautiful?"

"It's uh...it's a rose," the brunette replied, silver eyes watching her closely.

"Yeah, but look at the detail in the petals!" she said quickly, turning back to the painting and raising a hand above the part she was talking about. "And this light in the center here...it looks like the rose is creating its own light...like it only needs itself to be beautiful…"

Spinning back around, she found Ruby staring at her.

"What?" she asked, feeling slightly embarrassed for her bout of gushing.

"Honestly Weiss," Ruby began, cheeks flushing preemptively, "It might be the most gorgeous painting ever...but it's really hard to tell when I'm comparing it to you."

Whatever response she'd been expecting...well, it certainly hadn't been close to that.

Blushing profusely at the compliment, she coughed softly before moving to stand beside Ruby again, noticing the girl's eyes tracking her every movement. She swept her eyes quickly around the room to determine no one was paying attention to them at the moment, before reaching down and collecting Ruby's hand - giving a soft squeeze in appreciation for the nicest compliment anyone had ever given to her and truly meant.

_If you're just messing around, you need to stop right now._

Dropping Ruby's hand, she took a small step backwards out of the girl's personal space.

"Come on, I want to show you something else," she whispered before turning and walking towards the next room, feeling the brunette's presence behind her.

The dome in the building connected two of the exhibit halls and was used by most people merely as a thruway from one room to the next. But it was her favorite spot in the entire building - somewhere she remembered fondly from her childhood.

It was a large, open space between four archways - the domed ceiling arching high above their heads. If passersby stopped to look at the design, they would find the ceiling was composed of a mosaic of tiny pieces of tile, while the arches were exquisitely painted in an arrangement of light blues, greens, and purples.

But it wasn't the aesthetic that she most enjoyed about this room.

Taking Ruby by the shoulders, she directed the girl towards one corner - only releasing the brunette when the girl's nose was nearly in the corner where two archways met.

"Am I in time out?" the girl asked curiously, making her laugh.

"No, silly. Just stay like this for a second, ok?"

When Ruby nodded obediently, she turned and walked quickly to the opposite corner and stood in the exact same position she'd just left Ruby in.

Leaning forward an inch, she spoke in a normal voice.

"Ruby?"

The joyful squeal of surprise that returned to her lit a huge smile on her face.

"Weiss? I can hear you perfectly!"

The girl sounded so delighted, she couldn't help letting out a giggle.

"Isn't it cool?" she asked, her cheeks darkening in embarrassment when she noticed a couple walk by behind them - staring at the two of them with their noses stuck into the corners of the room.

"Totally! But...how does this even work? You're way over there!"

"It's the way the room is made...sound travels across it easily."

"Soooo cool! Wait - how'd you even know about this?"

"When I was younger, my family would be here quite often for events and fundraisers. They were quite boring for children, so my sister and I…my sister and I would spend most of the night whispering back and forth about the guests."

She paused, feeling a lump of nostalgia lodge in her throat.

Those had been some of the few good memories with Winter...when it had felt as if the two of them were united rather than in competition with one another.

Although, looking back, it was easy to see how different they would have grown up to be. Winter had always been ridiculing the outfits the guests were wearing, or guessing which husband was cheating and with whom. As the younger child, she'd followed her sister's lead, but had never felt as much gusto about it as her sister did.

But one time...and she could still remember it clearly to this day...Winter had said that she was glad Weiss was her sister - and not one of the bratty twins who had been with them on that particular night.

Winter probably hadn't meant for it to be as impactful as it had been...but it was the nicest thing she could remember her sister ever saying to her.

Trying to swallow the lump of emotion in her throat, she coughed softly when she found little success.

She nearly jumped out of her skin when two arms wrapped around her from behind, but relaxed when she identified the familiar warmth behind her. Ruby wrapped her in a hug, resting a chin upon her shoulder.

"Ruby…" she warned, squirming a little until Ruby's arms tightened and prevented any more movement.

"Don't worry, no one's around," the brunette spoke softly in her ear.

The words were immediately reassuring - allowing her to relax further into the respite Ruby was providing her.

"You never talk about her…" Ruby whispered, tone simple and reassuring.

"She wasn't a very nice person…" she whispered back, her mind recalling some of the more horrible things Winter had said or done as an attempt to distance herself from the sadness she was currently experiencing.

"She was still your sister."

It seemed like such a simple sentence, a well-known fact, but the way Ruby said it...it made her feel more at ease than she'd been in a long time.

It was permission...it was a blessing...to admit that sometimes she missed Winter.

That sometimes she was sad her sister had been taken away from the world so soon.

Spinning around within Ruby's arms, her eyes quickly scanned the empty room before wrapping her own arms around the brunette's neck - placing a quick kiss to the girl's cheek.

"How'd you get to be so sweet?" she asked, gazing deeply into kind, silver eyes as her grief disappeared.

"Maybe it's all the desserts I eat," Ruby responded with a crooked grin.

She rolled her eyes playfully at the response, which was to be expected from the girl.

"Maybe...or maybe it's just who you are."

"Maybe it's who you make me."

The response was far from the truth, but she smiled anyway - appreciating the sentiment.

But there wasn't a mean bone in the girl's body. Everything about Ruby was sweet...and innocent...and pure...the girl was the kindest person who had ever walked the planet - of that, Weiss was completely sure.

_Ruby doesn't deserve to be toyed with._

Unwrapping her arms from Ruby's neck, she lowered them slowly to her side - already missing the feeling of contact between them. But Ruby didn't release her...and she was quickly locked within silver eyes.

A fire ignited in her chest when she saw desire quickly building in the brunette's eyes. Her mind began to blank out...the only remaining thoughts revolving around how badly she wanted to kiss Ruby at this moment.

And then the moment snapped.

Leaning forward, she captured Ruby's lips in a passionate, loving kiss, reveling in the sensation before she was forced to break away - blushing furiously and staring at the ground when she heard several people walk past them.

Directing her eyes anywhere but at Ruby, she slipped out of the girl's grasp and coughed again in embarrassment.

"S-so...what would you like to do now? We can see some more paintings or…"

"Maybe...lunch?" Ruby suggested.

Looking back to the brunette, she had to laugh when she found Ruby giving her pleading eyes while pitifully patting her remarkably flat stomach.

How had she forgotten to provide food for the poor girl? That was the single most important thing to consider when spending time with Ruby!

"The museum cafe is actually pretty good - want to eat there?"

"Sure!" Ruby replied, happily following her towards the exit on their way to procure some food for the starving girl.

The cafe was small and well-kept - one of those eateries where all the food was ordered at the front counter before it would be brought to the table based on number. After their order had been placed, she'd carried a thin wire stand with the number '51' written upon it to their table.

Thankfully, since the business wasn't very busy today, their food was delivered to them in no time.

"That's all you're going to eat?" Ruby asked as soon as the waitress had stepped away, pointing down at the food sitting in front of Weiss.

She'd ordered a bowl of soup, which came with a small piece of bread on the side. It didn't seem like very much when compared to Ruby's sandwich with fruit, a bag of chips, and two cookies.

"I had a big breakfast."

The words slipped out of her mouth automatically, her mother having made several comments recently about her waning appetite at the dinner table. But she paused when she heard the words uttered to Ruby.

Now that she thought about it...she'd forgotten to eat breakfast.

But Ruby had already nodded her head and was setting in on her own food - accepting Weiss' answer. She decided it wasn't worth correcting such a harmless slip of the tongue at that moment.

Her appetite just hadn't been that large recently...and when she did eat, it made her nauseous afterward. She usually found more success eating in Ruby's company, but she couldn't really request that the brunette accompany her for all her meals.

It was likely just nerves though...or stress...nothing anyone needed to be worried about.

Dipping her spoon into the bowl of hot soup, she swirled the contents around several times before lifting a spoonful to her lips - watching the steam rise off it in thin wisps. Blowing once, she put the soup in her mouth and swallowed, smiling as she watched Ruby begin the second half of her sandwich.

"Are we going to need to order more?" she asked, dropping her spoon into the bowl while continuing to watch Ruby in amusement.

"I'll let you know when I get to the end!" the girl replied happily before taking another large bite.

Two sandwiches, a bowl of fruit, a bag of chips, and eight cookies later, they found themselves in the lobby of Ruby's building once again. She'd followed Ruby inside when the brunette had whined that she didn't want to say goodbye 'in the street,' but now it looked as if 'in the lobby' wasn't going to cut it either.

Few things were as difficult to say 'no' to as the brunette's puppy dog eyes.

"So...what are Yang and Blake up to today?" she asked after hesitantly stepping into the elevator with the girl.

"Oh, they both played hooky and went shopping. Something about some 'retail therapy,'" Ruby replied without so much as a curious glance for such a weird question.

But the knowledge helped her calm down immeasurably - having been worried she might run into one of the girls again today. Knowing that they were out, she gladly walked Ruby all the way to apartment door, standing patiently by while the brunette retrieved her keys and unlocked the deadbolt.

"Do you want to come in?" Ruby asked as she opened the door and stepped inside.

"Oh, I should probably get home soon…" she replied regretfully.

As much as she might want to continue their time together, she didn't want to risk being caught by Ruby's...somewhat protective roommates. And, honestly, she didn't know what to expect of herself if the two of them were to spend _alone_ time together...in a non-public location.

Fortunately, the brunette nodded her head in understanding, before leaning out the doorway and looking both directions down the hallway.

"Do you want a kiss?"

It was remarkable that such a question, said in nothing more than a whisper, could cause her to blush so profusely.

"I, uh…"

Yes, yes she did want one - the mere mention awakening hunger within her.

"Just one?" Ruby asked with a sweet smile. "One longggg one?"

She wasn't going to have the opportunity to answer with the brunette already snaking one hand behind her, fingertips barely grazing the small of her back. The light touch was more than enough to push her forward - stepping the half foot inside the open door to meet Ruby's lips in a hungry kiss.

Maybe Ruby would have broken away after just one kiss, but she couldn't. She turned one into two, and two into three...there seemed to be no end to her greed for the girl's attention, always left feeling desperate for more. They were very nearly fully inside the apartment now, a few steps further and she could reach out and push the door closed behind her -

_Do the right thing, Weiss._

She broke away from Ruby after several frenzied minutes - her breathing now coming in short gasps, Ruby's hair completely disheveled from where her fingers had just run through it. Taking a couple steps back to remove herself from Ruby's air, she tried to slow her rapidly beating heart.

Every inch of her skin felt like it had just awoken from a deep sleep - tingling with energy as blood rushed through her body at an incredible pace.

In these short moments, she felt so alive...

"Talk to you soon, ok?" she said, receiving a grin and a nod from the brunette before she turned and made her way back to the elevator - back downstairs and into the waiting vehicle.

One more day lost...she thought as the limousine pulled away from the curb - pulling her out of Ruby's life once again.

A lump reappeared in her throat, this one having nothing to do with the sadness of the past...and everything to do with the sorrow of tomorrow.

_You're just going to break her heart...and, from the looks of it, yours too._

Covering her face with her hands, she felt hot tears sting at her eyes as she tried to shut Yang's words out of her head - words that had been haunting her almost as much as Ruby's 'I love you' had.

But couldn't anyone see?

Her heart was already broken...it had been for quite some time now.

What was going to happen next would just tear it to pieces.


	23. Chapter 23

**So, I don't know what to say except...I'm sorry! **

* * *

By now, she'd grown accustomed to the feeling of dread she woke with each morning - the knowledge of another calendar day slipping away sitting heavily upon her chest. It was as if a weight had been placed on top of her covers overnight, pressing her down into the decadent bed and daring her to try to get up.

Time was not on her side...stubbornly marching forward without her consent.

She knew what needed to be done - the 'right' thing to do - but she was paralyzed by indecision, hoping to squeeze out just a few more minutes, a few more seconds, of happiness before facing reality.

But like most addicts, rather than deprive herself, she enabled - each morning immediately reaching for her phone to check for any messages from Ruby.

Much to her pleasure, the girl had been waking up earlier than normal recently - whether that was due to track being finished or school nearing winter break, she didn't know. But it almost felt as if the brunette's schedule was more closely aligning with her own - either by design or by sheer luck.

Whatever the reason, she was grateful for it - for it was the little blinking light on her phone that allowed her to take the first true breath of the day, a fix that sent her to an immediate high as she threw the featherweight covers off of her and swung her feet to the floor.

Opening the message, she discovered it was actually a picture. It looked like it had been taken outside the kitchen window in the girl's apartment - of the snow coming down in thick, fluffy flakes. The message accompanying it read 'just like that painting yesterday!' which brought out her laugh in the quiet room.

Standing, she walked over to her own windows and looked outside to find that, just as the picture, snowflakes were falling in droves this morning. The fluttering pieces of white were so condensed, they were obscuring her view of the gardens below.

She hadn't even known that it was going to snow today, but she'd been too caught up in her own life to pay much attention to the forecast. But, honestly, she was surprised no one had mentioned anything to her - it looked like this could be a substantial storm, complete with the type of snow that would accumulate in no time.

Tearing her eyes from the winter wonderland under rapid construction outdoors, she typed a quick reply to Ruby's message.

'You might have a career in art yet,' she wrote, before following up with a simple, 'What are you going to do today?'

No sooner had she turned her gaze back outside did the phone ring, Ruby's name displaying upon the screen.

"Hello?" she asked, curious as to why their text conversation had been abandoned so quickly.

"Hey, Weiss! I didn't feel like texting anymore," the brunette responded.

"We only sent like three texts! I think you just wanted to hear my voice," she teased, smiling when Ruby laughed.

"Ahh...you caught me there! You know your voice is like an angel's - I've told you that, right?"

"N-no you never mentioned that before," she replied, immediately flustered by the offhand comment.

"Oh...well, your voice is like an angel's!" the girl proclaimed, giving her no time to respond to the compliment before moving to the next sentence. "But anyway, to answer your question, I have a few things to do over at school today. You wanna hang out later?"

"Yes," she replied, the answer instinctive by this point. "How about dinner?"

"You're on! Oh wait, actually...Weiss, I'm officially inviting _you_ to dinner - so that I can finally pay."

She grinned at the comment, having listened to several recent complaints that the brunette never got to pay for their meals. Honestly, she wouldn't care at all if she paid for all of their meals, _forever_...but if it would really make the girl feel better to pay every once in awhile, she would certainly oblige.

Just as long as it wasn't _too_ expensive...and not _too_ often.

"Ok, Ruby. I accept your invitation."

Ruby giggled, the sound lifting her spirits right over the phone.

"Awesome! I'll text you later, k? Mwuah!"

She smiled as she let the phone fall to her side, wondering if she would ever have the courage to make a kissing noise over the phone as a goodbye. Ruby did it...all the time...and each time it made her heart do a stutter step, almost as if the girl had actually just given her a kiss.

Looking out at the snow again, she watched as it continued to pile up on the grounds surrounding her home.

A little thought tugged at the corners of her lips then.

Ruby would probably really love to build a snowman in the yard. Or a snow fort. Maybe she should invite the girl over tomorrow if the snow had stopped? As long as her mother was out of the house, it would be fine. Plus, there would probably be even more snow by then.

And Ruby would look really cute all bundled up in snow clothes...

When her phone buzzed, she looked down at it with a smile, expecting to have another text from the girl already. But the name written there erased her good humor instantly.

Cardin?

What was he texting her for?

When she read the incoming message, she stopped breathing, pressing one hand against the cold glass of the window to prevent herself from losing her balance.

'We need to talk about your girlfriend.'

A second text arrived then, supplying her with a time and location to meet that day - in just a few hours.

The messages filled her with horror, a deeply seeded fear having just materialized.

What did he know? He couldn't actually know anything...could he?

But then why send the message now?

For the briefest of moments, she considered ignoring him completely - just delete the messages and pretend she'd never received them.

But...what might he do then? Would he come over to the house? This was likely _not _a conversation she wanted her mother to overhear...and an angry Cardin would definitely make a huge scene.

Sending him nothing more than an 'ok' in response, she dressed and paced her room while waiting for an appropriate time to leave, mind racing all the while.

Whatever good feelings she'd had from her morning conversation with Ruby had been completely wiped out - not even the prospect of dinner tonight could improve her mood.

Usually she knew exactly what to expect from Cardin, but this...this was a situation she'd never been in before.

So it was with an all-consuming fear of the unknown that she reluctantly entered a vehicle to be driven to the popular coffeehouse Cardin had directed her to. She didn't know what he knew, how he knew it, or for how long - all unknown variables that wracked her nerves as she neared her destination.

Her 'girlfriend.'

She wasn't dating Ruby.

They spent a lot of time together, they were in near constant communication, they...sometimes...kissed, but nothing had ever officially been stated about a relationship above friendship. And..._that_...term had most definitely never been used - she'd made painfully sure of that.

Sure, maybe Ruby had confessed to loving her. And maybe she felt the same way in return.

But they weren't _officially_ dating.

...building an argument off of a mere technicality was never the best position to be in, but that's the situation she'd forced herself into.

It was possible...a slim bit of hope she immediately latched onto...that maybe he knew nothing at all. Maybe he was just guessing. Or trying to see what she would say in response to such an allegation.

Maybe he was just trying to rile her up.

That was the theory she decided to go with as she rushed through the thick snow and into the bustling coffeehouse. After briefly brushing snowflakes off of her jacket (the majority melting before she could do so), her eyes scanned the busy establishment before picking out the boy already seated at one of the tiny round tables.

Today, more than usual, the mere sight of him irritated her - the expensive clothing, constant texting on his phone, smug smile...he was everything she despised about life among the 'elite.'

Not wanting to waste any time, she stalked straight up to him, annoyance taking over.

"You'd better have a good reason for calling me here on such short notice," she said curtly, waiting for him to stand and politely pull out her seat before retaking his own.

"Calm down, Weiss - no need for hostility. We're just going to have a little chat about your girlfriend."

"I have plenty of _friends_ who are _girls_ \- which are you referring to?" she snapped.

Again with that smirk.

"No, I mean your _girlfriend_," he repeated.

"I have no idea what you're talking about," she replied flippantly, but the words only succeeded in causing him to slam a palm loudly down on the table, rattling their water glasses and drawing several sets of eyes their way.

"Don't lie to me," he hissed across the table at her, jovial demeanor flashing to anger for a split second before he leaned back with another easygoing smile. "Sky saw the two of you kissing yesterday."

"Where -"

The question failed to exit her mouth when she realized what had happened.

Sky Lark, one of Cardin's best friends from school. The boy's family ran the art museum, so it wasn't unusual for him to be there - but she'd thought Sky had moved to Atlas for several years...Cardin had never mentioned that he was back in town...

"Some girl who runs track at Vale U.?" Cardin continued, breaking into her thoughts. "You could have at least done better than that."

Feeling the blood drain from her face, she gawked at him, unable to believe the words that had just come out of his mouth.

"How do you -"

"Sky recognized her. Apparently, he used to go to the track meets to check out girls - pick up the ones who'd just lost and were feeling down on themselves."

The boy grinned at his friend's 'genius,' but she felt mortified that some guy had been checking Ruby out without anyone noticing.

Mortified and...terrified.

Forget the idea that Cardin didn't know anything - he knew _everything_. Denying at this moment would be absolutely pointless and would only make him angry, something she really didn't want to do.

Especially when he already knew exactly who Ruby was...and where to find her.

"Not doing anything you haven't already done, Cardin," she replied dismissively, trying to act as if she'd expected him to find out all along.

But her heart was racing and her palms were sweating as fear coursed through her veins.

This was _not_ what she'd been expecting when she'd left the house.

He merely laughed at her response and leaned back in his chair, raising both arms and putting them behind his head.

How he could appear completely relaxed at a time such as this, she had no idea. She was sitting ramrod straight - posture frozen as she tried not to move a single muscle.

"Well, that's certainly true - but it doesn't mean you can keep seeing her."

"_You're_ allowed to traipse around with whatever woman you can get your hands on, but I'm not?"

Of course, Ruby was _nothing _like the girls Cardin saw, but it wasn't worth diving into those details with the idiot.

"Yes, because I'm the man - that's what's expected of me."

She scoffed at the response, indignant at the sexist remark.

But...he was right - that was the way things were. She'd known that for some time now.

Wealthy men were allowed to have as many affairs as they wanted and, if things came to light, all anyone ever said was something along the lines of 'boys will be boys.' But if the women were to have an affair...well, it would be seen as disgraceful, leaving a heavy stain upon their family.

It was a double standard, it was unfair - but that didn't make it any less the way of life. Why else would her mother sit idly by while her father went through affair after affair?

It's not like the woman didn't have the opportunity to find someone to keep her company on the side. She just...couldn't. It was too risky.

"Right, and I'm supposed to just sit around waiting for you to come home," she said disdainfully.

"Exactly - it doesn't look good for a woman of your status to be seen in public with someone who's not your husband. So really, your options are me or nobody."

She frowned at the response, feeling the words as truth but struggling to maintain that they weren't.

"You can't be serious."

"I think you'll find I'm very serious," he replied.

And his expression was serious - calculating and manipulative unlike anything she'd seen from the boy before.

"You can break things off with her, or we can see how your parents feel about your little _relationship_."

The threat hung in the air like a noose over her head, waiting to see if she'd put the rope around her neck.

Her parents...this wedding had nothing to do with her happiness and everything to do with business and prestige. Her father would be angry about the lost successor and connections, while her mother would be absolutely livid about the embarrassment it would bring to their family. Throw in the fact that Ruby had little money to speak of...

If she knew anything about her mother...well, the woman would forbid her from ever seeing Ruby again - maybe even going as far as to assign her a personal bodyguard who would ensure this happened.

As if that wouldn't be horrible enough, the woman might go after Ruby...one call and her mother could have Ruby kicked off the track team or worse...expelled from school. She could keep Ruby from being employed _anywhere_ in Vale, ever.

All depending on how vindictive she was feeling that day.

So, her options were basically bad, or awful.

Why couldn't Ruby have been the daughter of some wealthy, influential family? Or maybe a celebrity? If she had been, people would think less of why they were spending so much time together. People wouldn't inherently wonder why two girls with such differing backgrounds were friends. Her parents might even view their friendship more favorably, as a possible connection rather than a hindrance.

If only…

Her thoughts ground to a sudden halt while Cardin continued to watch her, patiently waiting for a response.

What was she even thinking? She didn't want Ruby to be different. There was nothing about the girl she would ever want to change.

Why couldn't _she_ be different?

She'd never asked to be born to a rich and powerful family. She'd never wanted to be wealthy. She'd never wanted _any_ of this. And she was positive there were millions of girls who would love to switch positions with her.

"Why do you even care, Cardin?" she finally said, exasperation creeping into her tone. "It's not like your position would be threatened."

"Because you're not the only one whose parents expect things of you," he stated calmly, eyes daring her to argue with that.

But again, he was right.

How was this the one day that Cardin Winchester, of all people, was right?

But the boy was operating under the weight of his own family's expectations - most importantly, his mother's.

Just as she had obligations, so did he.

"When we're married, I'm taking over the company - you being spotted with this girl will make me look like a fool. It will undermine my authority."

"You'll have _no_ authority until my father steps down," she shot back at him.

Personally, she'd always hated the idea of Cardin running her family's company. The boy seemed far too dumb to be put in such an important position. But, that was the way things operated. And she supposed that after serving several decades under her father's tutelage, there was the potential that he would become somewhat competent.

"But it _will_ happen eventually, and if my mom were to catch wind of this…"

Cardin let his words trail off, allowing her to complete the sentence.

The woman would tear him to shreds…_especially_ if she learned that he had known and allowed it to continue.

How did her choices so greatly impact the lives of those around her?

Why couldn't it just be her who felt the repercussions of her decisions?

"Ah, right on time."

She turned around when Cardin nodded his head behind her - her heart stopping when she saw the familiar figure racing towards the front door of the coffeehouse.

"Ruby?"

She was on her feet before the brunette had even made it through the front door - reaching her arms towards the girl, wanting nothing more than to run into Ruby's comforting embrace.

But she dropped them when Cardin appeared by her side, grabbing her upper arm.

"Listen to me," he whispered forcefully in her ear, fingers digging into her arm when she tried to squirm away. "You're going to tell her that you never want to see her again, and you're going to be _convincing_, or my next call is to your mom. And we both know she won't be nearly as nice as I'm being."

Ruby was inside the coffeehouse now, approaching them cautiously while silver eyes flitted back and forth from her to Cardin.

"Cardin," she pleaded as the girl walked their way. "I'll do it - by can't you let us be alone?"

"No," he replied flatly, finally releasing her arm and taking a half step to the side. "I don't trust you to do it."

She wouldn't trust herself to go through with it, either.

Ruby was feet away from her now - the brunette's usually calming presence feeling more like fire burning her insides right now.

Things were moving too quickly - the situation evolving too rapidly. There was no time to process what was going on, to think things through. There was no opportunity to even think about what she wanted to say.

All she knew was that Ruby...Ruby was the most important thing in her world. She couldn't allow her decisions...her _family_...to destroy the girl's life...not when Ruby still had so much to live for.

Plus...they'd both known that this day would come, right?

"R-Ruby, what are you doing here?"

Her voice was soft and pleading, a hopelessly optimistic part of her believing the girl might turn and bolt at any second, sparing her from saying anything further.

But Ruby stayed.

Ruby always stayed, for her.

"Some guy flagged me down while I was cleaning out my track locker... he said it was really important to meet you here right away...he made it sound like you were in trouble. Are you ok?"

The question was so caring...so innocent…

Oh Ruby...why did you come here? Why did you care so much?

Why did you waste your love on someone like me?

"Ruby...I-I asked you to come here...so that I could tell you that...I...I never want to see you again."

If her heart hadn't already been broken, it surely would have as those words left her mouth. Especially when they only registered as shock and confusion in Ruby's kind silver eyes.

"What?"

"You heard her," Cardin said gruffly.

"I'm talking to her, not you," Ruby snapped angrily at the boy.

"Ruby," she interrupted, not wanting the two to get into an argument. "Please...Ruby, Cardin and I will be married soon. Please just respect...my wish...and don't try to contact me again."

For your own good.

"But Weiss, I…"

She knew what words flashed through Ruby's mind, trapped inside by Cardin's presence. The mere thought of those words threatened to unravel every bit of her that she was struggling to hold together. Trying to swallow, she found the lump forming in her throat was too big - drying out her mouth and cutting off her supply of air.

She leaned closer in order to whisper more privately, feeling tears threatening to flow.

"We can't, Ruby…"

"Weiss, it doesn't have to be this way," Ruby pleaded with her, silver eyes begging her to change her mind.

"It..it does," she responded instead, the weight of her last name hanging like an albatross from her neck, dragging her down.

Drowning her.

"But you never know if you -"

"I know, Ruby," she interrupted abruptly before the girl could finish her hopeful views on life.

Her own eyes burned as tears began building in silver eyes, looking as if the cheerful metal was melting away to nothing.

It felt as if someone had just stabbed her in the chest - warmth spreading from her heart as blood spilled everywhere.

It was self-inflicted...she'd done this to herself...

"Please, Ruby...don't make this any harder than it already is…"

"Weiss...i-is this really what you want?"

Her lip involuntarily quivered at the question. But she tried to appear poised as she said the two more difficult words in her life - as she tore her own heart from her chest with another lie.

But she would take her own life...to save Ruby's.

"It is."

She immediately turned to the side and bit her wavering lip, bottling up a sob that threatened to slip past her lips.

The hurt in Ruby's eyes was unbearable.

It was wrong...Ruby should never have had to feel this way. The girl was too pure for this...for this type of pain. Too trusting...too optimistic…

Breaking her own heart was one thing, but breaking Ruby's...

This was the single worst thing she'd ever done in her life.

With her eyes trained forcefully towards the ground, vision swimming with unshed tears, she felt rather than saw Ruby leave - without so much as a whimper in protest.

By the time she risked looking up, it was just in time to catch a glimpse of a red hoodie disappearing from view.

Someone had just stepped on the remaining pieces of her heart, crushing them to dust.

"Wow, she's fast!" Cardin said with a laugh, the boy's obnoxiously loud voice jarring her back to acknowledge his presence.

Setting her jaw, she continued to stare towards the door while hot tears multiplied in her eyes.

"Are we done here?" she directed towards him, refusing to look his way.

"Hey, I thought I could buy you lunch or something -"

"No, thank you," she said, walking towards the door without giving him another glance.

As soon as she was outside, she turned in the direction Ruby had gone. The snow was coming down more furiously now - nearly whiteout conditions - the frozen substance making it difficult to see very far at all. As her eyes searched, she found nothing besides an empty sidewalk and snowflakes in the girl's wake.

The remaining granules of her dying heart begged her feet to chase after the girl...begged for her to shout the girl's name or...something. Anything.

But she hesitated, unsure of what to do, of where her path was leading her now.

And the longer she hesitated, the further Ruby slipped away.

It wasn't long before the realization hit her - the feeling like a thousand knives stabbing through her heartless chest - that Ruby was already gone.

Ruby was gone.

There was no getting her back now. There would be no more good morning phone calls, or funny messages. There would be no dinner tonight.

It was over.

She stared through the snow, nose growing cold, fingers stiffening from lack of gloves. Her tears, stemming hot from her eyes, were nothing more than frozen streams on her cheeks as she stood in the cold, chest heaving as she struggled to take in frozen gasps of air.

But she felt nothing, nothing but the pain where her heart had once lived.

"Miss."

The word meant nothing to her.

It wasn't until a hand touched her shoulder that she spun in the direction of the voice, finding her driver looking at her with concern filled eyes.

"Miss, you shouldn't stand out here in the cold…"

Looking down to hide her tears, she nodded her head and slipped into the vehicle without a word. It was only inside the warm cabin that she realized just how cold she was - ears, cheeks, nose, and hands nearly frozen through and through. But she made no effort to warm them as the car took her home, wishing that the numb feeling would extend to her mind, as well.

She'd just...she'd thought they had a little more time together...a little more time before this had to happen...

But Ruby was already gone...disappearing from her life just as quickly as she'd entered.


	24. Chapter 24

**Thank you everyone for the reviews! There were a surprising number of threats on Cardin's life lol**

* * *

A minute without Ruby...an hour...a day...she felt every second of the time passing by at a snail's pace.

Every breath was a struggle - the molecules in the air having taken on the qualities of glass, ripping through her lungs when she dared try to breathe. Eating was impossible. Moving was tedious. There seemed no point in speaking. If she hadn't had obligations, she wouldn't have bothered to get out of bed in the morning, at all.

Why she even bothered to get into bed to begin with...she was beyond exhausted, but the second she closed her eyes she was haunted by nightmares - the kind of horrors that would cause her to wake in a cold sweat, tears rolling down her cheeks.

Her brain didn't even need to twist or contort the past in order to tear her to pieces - it simply replayed the memory from the coffee shop exactly as it had happened - over and over and over again.

The words she'd said. The hurt in Ruby's eyes. The pain...

Thankfully, for her own sanity, there were things to be done - a whirlwind of last minute preparations to take part in. There were the last minute alterations of the gown, during which her mother had been very pleased to find that she'd met her weight target and then some. Prestigious guests were stopping by the house at all hours of the day, expecting to be hosted for a cup of tea and conversation.

Throughout it all, she looked at her phone at the very least every other minute - wishing that it would do something, _anything_, but continue to remain silent.

But time moved forward...and there was nothing.

No phone call, no text message, no email.

She'd tried to pretend that there was nothing she could have done, but she knew that that simply wasn't true.

She could have made it clear from the very beginning that nothing could ever happen. She could have not led Ruby on. At the very least, she could have been the one to tell Ruby some time ago, on _her_ terms, that it had to end.

But she'd been so desperate to wring every possible second out of...feeling happy...that she'd waited too long.

If she was honest with herself, would she have even been able to say anything before the wedding? How long would she have waited? Until the night before? The morning of?

She was such a _coward_. She might not have said anything at all had Cardin not forced her hand.

Slipping into the hallway, away from where her mother was entertaining some pretentious dignitary from Vacuo, she pulled her phone out once again.

The entire day had been spent like this - never progressing any further than simply staring at the device before putting it away. But right now, her resolve was beginning to wear thin.

More than anything - she needed to hear Ruby's voice.

Tapping the top of her phone, she finally hit the button to dial Ruby's number and held the device up to her ear. When one of the maids happened to enter the hallway with her, she turned towards the wall as the call tried to connect.

Her breathing slowed in anticipation - nerves appearing in every cell of her body.

One ring.

A sharp stab of pain rushed through her when she heard the click of the call moving directly over to voicemail, knives running her through when the familiar cheerful message began to play.

"Hey, you've reached Ruby _the Rocket_ Rose! I'm either busy or forgot to charge my phone again - whoops! Leave me a message and I'll get back to you as soon as I can. Bye!"

Beeeep.

"H-hey Ruby...can you...can you call me when you get this? I, uh...I need to talk to you..."

She waited a few seconds longer, as if she might actually say something else, before finally ending the call.

What would she even say if Ruby called her back? What _could_ she say?

The girl must have turned her phone off...a pretty clear message that she didn't want to be reached at all.

What could she possibly say to make this any better?

More tears welled in her eyes as she stared down at the useless device - the phone still grasped in her hand like a lifeline.

There were always tears in her eyes now, lingering just beneath the surface, looking for any excuse to come out.

Storing her phone back in her pocket, she took a deep breath and re-entered the room with her mother and the man whose name she had no interest in learning. Sitting down with a small smile, she pretended to pay attention to the conversation - making sure to prevent her eyes from glassing over as her mind drifted away from this place.

Ruby...what are you doing right now?

Are you at home studying for finals? Going for a run in the snow? Maybe you're at the park with Zwei?

Are you doing ok?

Are you thinking about me too?

Trying to cut off that line of thinking, she only managed to redirect herself towards how much she missed the girl...how painful it was to think that they might never see or speak to each other again.

It was literally painful...the void in her chest, the memories flashing through her thoughts...

Rationally, it didn't even seem possible to be in this much pain over one person.

But it wasn't just 'one person,' it was Ruby...

What was going to happen now...would Ruby move on? Find someone new?

She would probably start dating Penny, that orange-haired girl on the track team who was so enamored with her. They would kiss, just as she and Ruby had. The brunette would probably even take Penny up to the tower - the place where they'd shared their second kiss.

But, even worse, the two would do things she'd never been able to. They would sleep together...move in together...get married and live happily ever after.

The thought soured her stomach.

When her mother suddenly laughed, the noise loud and grating, she forced a timid smile at the joke she'd completely missed, wishing that she could go back to her room and curl into a pitiful ball on her bed.

She was destined to become nothing more than a distant memory.

Ruby would probably talk about her every now and then...as the first girl to break her heart - as the bullet she'd dodged.

And where would she be?

Living in a cold, lonely mansion, having uncomfortable, silent dinners with the husband she had no feeling but loathing towards. Cardin probably wouldn't even go through the trouble of hiding his affairs - likely parading the women through the home. She'd become the laughingstock of Vale - everyone would whisper about her, wondering why she didn't seem to care that her husband was seen with so many different women.

No one would ever know the truth...that she loved someone else. Why would she care what Cardin did when she was deprived of the person she loved?

She'll sit there, by herself, and wish that she was someone else. She'll wish that she could have been the one for Ruby.

Well, she already wished that.

But she understood how her family had sacrificed to get where they were today. She'd heard all the stories ever since she was young - how her great great grandfather had toiled eighty hours per week, how her great grandfather had lost three fingers in a manufacturing floor accident, how her grandmother had surrendered her childhood home to build the newest headquarters…

And now it was her turn to sacrifice...to forfeit her freedom of choice, to lose the love of her life, for the greater calling of the family name.

Because when she woke up, she was a Schnee. And when she went to sleep, she was still a Schnee.

Nothing could ever change that.

But no one could ever say she hadn't done her part. No one could ever say she was selfish...or greedy...that she didn't know what it was like to make the ultimate sacrifice.

If she were any of those things, she wouldn't be sitting here right now.

When her mother stood from her seat, she obediently followed suit, shaking hands with their guest one more time before he took his leave. As her mother escorted him towards the front door, she made her way back to her room, wanting nothing more than to shut herself away for the afternoon.

As inviting as her bed looked, she knew that it held nothing but nightmares for her. So she made her way to the desk instead. Sitting down and tapping her fingers against the wooden top, she turned her gaze out one of the bedroom windows.

The snow had stopped yesterday, leaving them with several inches piled upon the ground. But, unlike the first snow they'd gotten, this was neither happy or cheery, as the sun was completely hidden behind a blanket of dark gray clouds.

The color of the sky almost reminded her of…

Shaking her head, she pulled open one of the desk drawers to find a piece of paper - discovering the photograph of Winter and the birthday unicorns once again. Removing the picture for only a minute, she found herself wishing that the girl was still here.

How different might their lives have been then?

Maybe her parents wouldn't have cared who she married - as she would hold the enviable position of second in line and thus first to be discarded. Or maybe they'd even give her the option of going unwed - allowing her to continue whatever relationship she should choose.

Flipping the frame over, she set it on the far corner of the desk in order to pull out a single page of stationery that had been stored underneath.

Who was she kidding...it was nice to dream that Winter's presence would have solved her problems, but her parents were far too scheming to have ever let her decide her own fate. They would have just married her off to the city's second most eligible bachelor, instead.

Clearing her mind of those thoughts, she found a pen in the tray in front of her and set the tip down on the paper, focusing on what she needed to write.

The first part was easy - 'Dear Ruby.'

After that, her mind swam with the words she longed to say - all of the things she wished they'd had an opportunity to discuss in person - the things she'd always been too afraid to say aloud.

How much she enjoyed the time they spent together. How she felt about Ruby - how she _honestly_ felt about Ruby. How deeply...how heart wrenchingly...how _passionately_ she loved her.

But none of those words made it onto the page as she wrote her thoughts in the best penmanship she could muster.

Ruby had always liked her handwriting, after all...

It didn't seem fair to write a letter that would only make things less clear and potentially more difficult for the brunette to move on - to move through the pain. And that's what she wanted - for Ruby to keep living - to keep being the bubbly, cheerful ray of sunshine that she was.

If that meant that Ruby met someone else and lived a long, happy life...well, she would be happy with that.

She would have to be.

So...instead of professing her love, she apologized.

How sorry she was that she couldn't be who Ruby needed. How sorry she was for the pain and hurt she'd caused by not speaking up sooner. How sorry she was that her life was not hers to live - that the future success of her family was dependent solely upon her.

Left out were the 'if only's and 'maybe's that flashed through her mind as every passing word flowed from the pen onto the page.

If only she'd been born into a different family.

Maybe they could still manage to keep in touch, somehow.

When she was finally satisfied with the level of apology she'd managed to fit onto one page, she paused when reaching the bottom. After much hesitation, she finally signed the letter 'Love, Weiss.'

It might be the only time she'd ever get to tell Ruby that…

Meticulously folding the piece of paper and sliding it into a plain, white envelope, she sealed it and wrote Ruby's name elegantly across the front.

With that finished, she made her way back downstairs, envelope still in hand. There was a sense of purpose within the fragile paper that allowed her to breathe again - grasping onto a foolish thread of hope that the words could somehow make a difference, that they could correct the mess she'd made.

She walked straight up to the first butler she could find - the man in the process of shining a piece of silver decorative plating in the living room.

"Is James here today?" she asked, startling the man out of his focus.

"Um, yes, I believe so…"

"Please get him for me, immediately."

With a nod, the man left her and went in search of the man she'd requested.

There were very few people she trusted...and even fewer now...but she felt like she might be able to trust James with this task.

Sitting uncomfortably on the very edge of one of the unused living room chairs while waiting, the man walked quickly into the room a few minutes later.

"You were looking for me -" he began to ask, but she stood and began speaking before he could finish.

"Would you be able to do something for me, and not mention it to anyone?" she asked, watching the man carefully to gauge his response.

"I...well, it would depend…"

"Would you take this letter to Ruby for me?" she asked, holding the envelope towards him while doing her best to keep her hand steady. Having trembling fingers reflected poorly upon a person...

"Oh...yes. Yes, I can do that," he replied as he graciously accepted the letter, before giving her a curious glance. "But why -"

"Apartment 517. Thank you, James," she said quickly, not wanting to broach the topic for fear of allowing more tears to escape her eyes.

With a nod and a small smile, the man turned and rushed out of the room, sliding the letter carefully inside his jacket as he went. A few seconds later, she heard the sound of the front door opening and closing.

His exit from the house was her signal to sit back down and wait for his return.

And how impatiently she waited…knee bouncing up and down as she folded and unfolded her hands in her lap.

She knew exactly how long it would take for him to reach Ruby's apartment, so she knew exactly when the girl should have the letter in her hands.

Unless, of course, Ruby wasn't at home. Or there was unexpected traffic...maybe an accident due to the snow...

Her knee refused to quit bouncing, her phone now clutched within one hand while she allowed her eyes to roam around the living room.

Today, the sparkling jewels within the ceiling seemed to be mocking her - their cheerful glitters not at all reflecting the dull feeling within her chest.

She tried to prevent it...but it couldn't be helped. As soon as enough time had passed to where she was sure Ruby would have received the letter, hope began to grow - hope that the girl might call her...or reach out to her in some way.

But as silent seconds continued to march past, she scolded herself for being so foolish.

Why had she expected some letter to miraculously heal all the pain she'd inflicted? How would words scribbled upon a piece of paper correct the mess she'd made?

Her words of reason didn't stop her pulse from soaring when her phone buzzed - the device coming to life after having been dormant for far too long.

But whatever sense of excitement she felt was instantly dashed when she looked down at the screen and found it was only a message from Jezebel sitting there for her.

The girl was reminding her of the rehearsal dinner tomorrow...like she needed to be reminded of such of thing…

It was very likely she'd never been so let down - her false hope crushed to oblivion. Her tears were rising closer and closer to the surface as what little control she'd managed to collect over her emotions was weakening.

Hearing the front door open again sometime later, she bit her lip while waiting for James to return to her.

The man walked into the room with much less certainty than he'd displayed just a short time ago - approaching her as if hesitant to deliver any sort of news.

"How did it go?" she asked, voice hollow while she waited to hear how her pitiful attempt of apologizing had been received. "What did...did she say anything?"

Anything...anything at all. She would grasp onto any last syllable the brunette might have muttered - anything that might replace the last second the two of them had spent together...

"Well...I didn't see Miss Rose…" the man began, shifting between his feet uncomfortably before looking her in the eye. "But I did speak to a rather irate blonde girl..."

"Oh," she said flatly, the air rushing out of her lungs when she realized what had likely occurred.

Yang...of course. The blonde was most likely livid at her for what she'd done, especially when she'd been warned that this would happen. Even if Ruby hadn't explicitly said anything, Yang would be perceptive enough to figure out what went wrong.

It was actually somewhat surprising that the girl hadn't shown up at the front door determined to beat the pulp out of her...something she completely deserved and would absolutely accept without complaint.

Maybe a brief hospital stay would even postpone the wedding.

"She...asked...me to tell you to never come anywhere near her sister again or...bodily harm might be involved. She may have also...ripped the letter into pieces before slamming the door in my face."

Yup...that sounded like Yang.

It also explained why James had seemed so uncomfortable upon his return.

"Thank you," she replied softly, giving him a small smile to reassure him she wasn't angered by his failed attempt to do as she'd asked.

"Miss…"

Her feet were already carrying her out of the living room by that point, unable to bare anymore of the sympathy his eyes held for her.

She didn't deserve his sympathy or anyone else's.

She'd brought this upon herself.

And it wouldn't be so bad if it were just her with the broken heart...but knowing that Ruby was also in pain…

It tore holes right through her.

The failure of her letter released all the emotions she'd managed to hold at bay up to this point. Now with no hope of apologizing, she was truly left with nothing...nothing but the waves of pain and agony that threatened to bring her to her knees.

But she was forced to continue, forced to survive and live another day when each second seemed like a struggle.

With these darkened thoughts clouding her mind, her feet plodded mechanically into the music room and to the seat of the piano. Sitting down, she placed her phone on the edge of the instrument, within her vision, before lifting the cover off of the keys.

The sparkling ivory extended to her left and right - a sea of black and white begging her to play.

Setting her hands down in a starting position, she straightened her posture, found the pedals with her foot, and took a deep breath.

When she was playing a happy tune, there was no need for preparation - she simply sat down and let her fingers do the work.

But preparing to play a sad song, like today...it was like standing at the edge of a cliff, staring down towards an bottomless abyss.

Once she took the plunge, there was no turning back.

Pressing her fingers down, the sound of the first chord filled the room - only to be replaced by another, and another, as she poured her emotions through the instrument. Somehow, her fingers knew where to go without her direction, weaving a sorrowful web, dancing across the firm keys as they described how she was feeling far better than mere words could.

The notes...the song...they did nothing but make her feel progressively worse as her pain became audible, filling the air around her.

But feeling worse made her feel almost...better.

Now anyone passing by could hear her sorrow - that they might share in her anguish.

The concept of time was lost in this place, nothing beyond the next note meaning anything at all to her.

She didn't know when exactly she started crying, but as the last melody faded to silence, she felt the tears steadily rolling down her cheeks, vision completely blurred by water. Only when the final note cut off did she remove her fingers from the keys and brush the back of one hand across her eyes, wiping away the tears.

Lowering the cover with a soft thud as wood fell on top of wood, her eyes flickered over to her phone - which had stayed agonizingly silent this entire time.

In one fluid motion, she'd grabbed the device, pressed the speed dial for Ruby, and held it up to her ear.

"Hey, you've reached Ruby the Rocket Rose! I'm either busy or forgot -"

She ended the call, pulse hammering while her fingers began to shake uncontrollably.

She couldn't leave another message...what could she possibly say?

'Hi Ruby, I know I'm getting married in a couple days, but I just wanted to apologize for -'

For…

For falling in love with you.


	25. Chapter 25

**It is with great trepidation that I post this chapter...**

**Thank you everyone for the reviews! Although, when you only review the angsty chapters, it makes me feel like that's all I should write. lol kinda that positive reinforcement thing?**

* * *

The day before the wedding was filled with even more last minute preparations - the air buzzing with hectic energy as final decisions were made and mistakes were corrected. The sheer number of items that needed to be attended to was so overwhelming that she again found herself thankful that her mother had taken charge of the responsibilities.

Except for one...the cake.

They'd left the house early in the morning to begin their errands, being driven along streets drenched in black slush as the snow was trampled beneath the tires of an endless parade of vehicles.

Their very first stop had been the bakery - her mother wanting to see and sign off on the final product before it was transported to the reception hall for safekeeping. Of course, for her, the small bakery only served as another painful memory of the time she and Ruby had shared together - cheerfully trying the different flavors of cakes that had been provided for them.

The baker had been expecting their arrival, bringing out the final product the second they stepped inside the door.

Freshly baked and decorated to perfection, it was...gorgeous. Absolutely gorgeous.

It was five layers, draped in the most intricate silver snowflakes she'd ever seen, and studded with real diamonds in a classy and thankfully not outrageous manner.

But the real surprise had been the spark of color provided by several blood red rubies sprinkled throughout the layers.

If she'd still had a heart, well...it would have been torn out again as she remembered how much Ruby had enjoyed this particular cake...how the girl had given her a wink instead of a true rating…

Ruby would have loved it…

But she'd just smiled and said 'It looks wonderful' as her mother praised the baker for a job well done.

Once they had finished at the bakery, she'd been dragged to the hair salon for a last minute trim and style, manicure, and pedicure. They'd then breezed through a dress rehearsal at the church - which would have gone even faster if Cardin's groomsmen weren't imbeciles - had lunch with some important business owner from Atlas, and still made it home with plenty of time to dress for the rehearsal dinner.

The entire day, her phone remained right by her side, never out of arm's reach. Although, its continued presence was less out of hope that Ruby would call, and more out of comfort from the connection they used to share.

In a way, the stupid little device was the last thing she had of Ruby - the last tiny shred of their bond that she could hold onto. Without it, she might be convinced that it had never even happened - that Ruby had simply been a figment of her imagination, a deeply buried desire coming to life.

A dream whose sole purpose was to be taken away from her when she'd started to believe it was reality.

But within her phone lived proof - tangible evidence of how things had been, how _they_ had been.

And even if she had nothing else, she could hold onto their last text messages - like Ruby's photo of the snow, just like the painting they had seen together at the art museum.

It was a tiny thread she was clinging to for dear life at this moment, standing in the sprawling hotel ballroom where the rehearsal dinner was being held.

Her parents were here, along with Cardin, his parents, and the rest of the wedding party. As was customary the night before the wedding, they were going to share a meal and spend some 'quality time' together before the big day. It was an opportunity to relax after the demands of wedding planning had all been satisfied.

At least, that's what her understanding of a traditional rehearsal had been. But in this case, dinner was more an opportunity to get in one last round of flattery before their family names would be tied together for eternity.

And for the rest of the wedding party - specifically, Cardin's friends - it was an opportunity to have an exorbitantly expensive meal and get drunk on the Schnee's dime.

Her mother had selected a silver ball gown for her to wear this evening - the color torturing to her soul every second she caught a glimpse of it. With a pair of silver heels, she might have looked nice on the outside, but inside she felt torn open and raw.

Just make it through tomorrow, she told herself, training her eyes upon the long dining table sitting in the banquet hall so as not to catch sight of her dress.

But...then what? What relief was in sight for her after the wedding?

She knew the answer before the question had disappeared from her mind.

There was none.

This was the way it would be, from here on out.

There was no light at the end of the tunnel, no sunrise after the night - her light, her sun, had been taken from her.

There would be only darkness.

"Weiss."

Her eyes snapped towards the sound of her mother's voice, drawing her back from the edge of the void within her chest.

The woman was walking towards her purposefully, trailed by another girl she vaguely remembered from the wedding rehearsal that afternoon - not that she had paid attention to much of what was happening inside that church.

She'd listened to the minister long enough to understand exactly what she was expected to do, then allowed her thoughts to drift back to Ruby's painful absence - trying to prevent herself from flinching as the man kept repeating the words 'vows,' 'matrimony,' and 'kiss' over and over again.

"Weiss, this is Cinder Fall," her mother said as the two of them stopped directly in front of her. "She'll be your maid of honor for the wedding."

"Nice to meet you," she replied politely, dipping her chin a fraction of an inch in acknowledgment of the position the girl had been given. Since she didn't actually have any influential friends who could be invited to be bridesmaids, her mother had likely selected the most attractive and wealthiest girls amongst her age group.

It was probably a coveted position for any of the more attention seeking families...

"Likewise," Cinder responded to her polite greeting, lips curling into a smug smile.

The girl could have been two years older than her or ten, it was that difficult to tell. Her thick, black hair fell in perfectly styled layers just past her shoulders, which were left completely bare as her flaming red dress fell off them completely. Coupled with shining amber eyes, Cinder was certainly an attractive woman, but her demeanor was cold, calculating...incredibly off-putting.

And she didn't hold a candle to Ruby.

In a habit learned long ago in order to better preserve her sanity, she immediately wrote the woman off as someone she didn't want to be associated with. Something about the vibe Cinder was giving off...it was nothing she wanted to be near for very long.

Luckily for her, Cinder seemed to think the same, both of them heading in separate directions when one of the waiters came over and informed them that it was time for dinner to be served.

As she made her way to the head of the table where she was supposed to be seated next to her husband-to-be, her eyes swept over a familiar boy - one she hadn't seen in years.

The smirk he wore gave away his identity - earning her ire in return as she took her seat.

Sky Lark...she had quite a few nasty words she'd love to say to him later.

But for now, she would focus on making it through this dinner alive. And if she had to hear _one_ more person make a joke about how they 'don't usually _rehearse_ their meals before eating them,' that likely wasn't going to happen.

Seriously, an original joke would be nice to hear every once in awhile. Of course, the chances of that in this stuffy crowd were slim to none.

After each seat at the long table had been occupied by one of their important guests, the first course was placed neatly in front of her - the waiters timed perfectly to set everyone's plates down at the exact same moment.

Their meal would begin with a steaming bowl of leek soup, topped elegantly with some quickly melting shreds of cheese and a small leaf of parsley.

She'd managed only a few spoonfuls before the bowls were removed from the table to be replaced by the main course, a piece of lamb placed on top of a bed of potatoes and various vegetables on the side. While everyone around her continued talking and eating their meals, she spent most of her time meticulously cutting the lamb into bite sized pieces - taking as much time as possible accomplishing the mindless task so as to avoid doing anything else.

"You should eat more, dear," her mother's voice instructed from across the table - the woman pausing her conversation with Mrs. Winchester for a few seconds. "You don't need to worry about fitting into the dress any longer."

"Yes, and you'll need all your strength for tomorrow," Mrs. Winchester added with a smile.

Smiling weakly in return, she obligingly stuck a forkful of food in her mouth and chewed, the flavor far too harsh for her taste. She wasn't hungry in the slightest, but knew she'd better force down some food in order to maintain the appearance that everything was fine - especially with her mother evidently watching her.

She didn't even like lamb...not that anyone had bothered to ask her opinion.

Halfway through, the plate was mercifully taken away from her - this time replaced with their dessert course. Fortunately, she knew that her mother would have no qualms about her not touching this dish, so she didn't even bother picking up her dessert fork while the rest of the guests continued eating.

Her mother pushed away the chocolate monstrosity, as well - neither of them desiring that much sugar to flood their systems this evening.

The soft chime of a spoon tapping against the side of a wine glass caught her attention, as well as the rest of the table's, drawing everyone's eyes to a seat at the very end. In accordance with wedding custom, Mr. Winchester was standing from his seat, glass in hand as he prepared to give his toast.

"Good evening. Thank you to everyone for being here with us tonight," the man began in a low tone, his voice far warmer and more welcoming than his piercing eyes seemed to suggest. "Tomorrow marks the beginning of an important journey for both of our families - one we've been waiting to begin for quite some time now."

"Through these two young souls dining with us tonight, we continue to build upon legacies constructed over generations, to strengthen both lineages for generations to come. Though we know not what the future may hold, we do know there will be no name more powerful than Winchester-Schnee."

Raising his glass into the air, everyone followed suit.

Winchester-Schnee...how long must the man have waited for the opportunity to tie his name with her own...and to list Winchester first, no less. It could be brushed off as a slip of the tongue, but she had a feeling the man was too calculating and driven to have made a mistake like that. Slipping a glance at her father out of the corner of her eye, she knew that the man had made the same assumption - his jaw clenched tightly in expertly concealed anger.

As soon as Mr. Winchester had returned to his seat, she felt Cardin stand up from beside her - the boy also picking up his glass in order to give a toast of his own. The conversations that had started back up died off immediately, eyes training on the boy in polite deference.

"Good evening ladies - dudes," he began, raising his glass towards his raucous group of groomsmen while completely missing his mother's flinch at the word. "Like my dad said, Weiss and I have been waiting for this day for a long time now. We're both excited for what comes next - we're excited for this new chapter in our lives. We're eternally grateful to our parents, for all the guidance they've provided us thus far in life. We hope to make all of you proud. Cheers."

With a murmur of cheers in return, everyone drank to the toasts before turning back to their own conversations.

"Well said," she whispered towards the boy when he returned to his seat. "Maybe you have a career in public speaking, after all."

He chuckled at her words, likely believing she was being sarcastic.

But it actually hadn't been that bad of a toast, minus the horribly unprofessional beginning.

When the main portion of the meal was officially over, people began to stand from the table - either to make their exits for the evening or to head to the restrooms. After spending several minutes listening to Cardin speak with one of his groomsmen about which one of the bridesmaids was most attractive, she decided she would rather be anywhere but there at the moment.

Standing from her chair, she didn't bother saying anything as she made her way towards the restroom. She didn't _actually_ need to use the restroom, but it was as good of an excuse as she had for leaving the table.

Unfortunately for her, the aforementioned bridesmaids were congregated right outside the ladies' room door - forcing her to walk by them if she wanted to enter the restroom.

Determined not to let their presence sway her from her original plan, she continued walking towards them - realizing that they hadn't noticed her approach.

"She can sure suck any ounce of fun out of a room, can't she?" one of the girls said.

"Yeah, she just sits there like she's made of stone or something."

"She's a cold-hearted bitch."

The last comment was immediately recognizable as Cinder's voice, the smooth tone earning a laugh from the two cronies.

It certainly wasn't the first time she'd been spoken about in such a way, but she wasn't exactly in the mood for it today.

"Excuse me," she said when she reached them, opting to brush through the center of their little group instead of stepping around.

They took a step back as she passed by - varying degrees of shock or horror written on their faces at what she'd just overheard them saying. But she bit her tongue as she moved through them, knowing there was no point in retaliation.

Even though she knew how to put someone in their place if she needed to, it just felt so...

"Hey, is it true you've never been kissed?"

The velvety question drew a chorus of stifled giggles from behind her as her feet froze in place, pulse beginning to race from rapidly building animosity.

There were so many things Cinder could have chosen to say...so many insults that could have hurled her way…but the girl had managed to touch upon the _one_ subject that brought back searing memories of the brunette she hadn't spoken to in several days.

Memories of the girl she so badly wanted to see - to be with - to hear.

To kiss.

"Cinder...Fall, was it?" she replied, feeling ice in her veins as she spun back to the three girls. "You know, I _thought_ it sounded familiar - your father was arrested for...soliciting a male prostitute, wasn't it?"

Cinder's eyes widened at the statement, while the other two girls' jaws dropped in disbelief at the gossip they'd just been provided.

The raven haired woman quickly regained some of her swagger, although her eyes flashed uncertainly towards the two girls standing beside her.

"Those charges were dropped."

"They were dropped because my family said they should be," she hissed in reply, taking a step closer to the woman - not caring that she had to look up to meet those amber eyes. "And we _only _did that because we knew he'd have far greater use to us here than _rotting_ in prison."

Stepping away, she could feel the sneer on her lips while Cinder stared at her in a mixture of astonishment and worry.

"Don't forget who allowed you to continue this _pathetic_ life of yours," she spit out before shoving her way past the girls - stalking back to the dining table while seething in anger and...disappointment.

She was disappointed in herself...in the words she'd just said...in how horribly she'd reacted to that situation.

Cinder had been asking for it - intentionally trying to antagonize her. If she hadn't responded, the girl would continue to believe that comments such as those could be made without repercussions.

But no matter how justified her reaction may have been, she couldn't shake this overwhelming feeling of...shame.

What would Ruby have thought, if she'd just seen what Weiss had done?

The brunette was kind to everyone, even those who sought to hurt her. If Cinder had said the same thing to Ruby, the girl would have just laughed and walked away. Ruby would never have...revealed a stranger's deeply kept secret as a means of humiliation.

What would Ruby think...if she saw the type of person Weiss was capable of being?

What if Ruby could see the malice brewing in her blood? The darkness lingering at the edge of her mind - threatening to overthrow the sense of self she'd so desperately tried to cling to?

Not that it mattered...she would never see Ruby again.

Their time together would become nothing more than fond memories - every conversation, every laugh, every smile, every hug, every kiss…

She would treasure every second they'd spent together for the rest of her life.

But that was all she would have...she would only see Ruby in her memories.

So what did it matter...what did it matter the type of person she became now?

Sinking back into her seat at the table, she raised one hand to her temple, feeling a headache beginning to grow behind her eyes.

She didn't want to be here anymore.

"Mother," she directed towards the woman after waiting for the perfect moment to cut into the conversation. "May I head home now? I'm beginning to get a headache."

When her mother frowned at her, she instantly knew that a 'no' was on the tip of the woman's tongue - until Cardin stood from the table.

"I can take her home, Mrs. Schnee. Don't want a headache to carry over into tomorrow, after all."

And, just like that, the 'no' became a nod of approval as the rest of the women at the table 'aww'd at Cardin's words - like the boy was some gallant knight coming to her rescue.

Well, as long as she got to leave this place, she didn't really care if she had to spend a few minutes stuck in a car with the boy.

"Thank you, Cardin," she replied as she stood from the table as well, both of them bidding polite farewells to the guests who were remaining.

She allowed him to lead the way out of the hotel where the dinner had been hosted - the most expensive hotel in all of Vale. They waited no longer than a minute for the valet to bring Cardin's car around and park it directly in front of the door to the main lobby.

Unlike her, Cardin was allowed to drive himself around - which he did in the most ridiculously overpriced vehicles imaginable. Every time she saw him, he was driving something new - each car painted in some neon color designed to draw attention, both good and bad.

He drove like a reckless idiot when on his own or with friends, but, thankfully, he was polite enough to drive like a normal human being with her in the vehicle. Well, _almost_ like a normal human being...he did tend to air on the 'excessively fast' side when there were few other vehicles around.

The ride passed in a comfortable silence, her headache disappearing the further they became from that stuffy room with the insufferable people. Before she knew it, they were driving past the front gate of her home, pulling up the circular drive to the front door.

When Cardin put the vehicle in park, she patiently waited for him to jog around to her side of the car and open the door for her - this car having those crazy doors that opened upwards instead of out. Extending a hand towards her, she graciously took it while stepping from the vehicle onto the pavement below.

Whoever had designed this vehicle had certainly not done so with a woman in a dress and high heels in mind.

She'd expected him to leave her at that time and drive off to whatever plans he had for the evening - over dinner she'd heard mention of some 'killer' bachelor party his buddies had planned - but instead, he walked with her towards the front door...the gesture instantly raising an alarm as potential trouble.

"So, you miss your girlfriend?"

Ah...so that's what he wanted to talk about…

The word...the question...the tone it was spoken in...everything about it instantly set her skin on fire, drawing forward emotions she'd thought she'd been able to lock away.

Refusing to play his game, she ignored the question entirely as she walked carefully up the steps - nearly to the front door now. Just a few more steps and she could leave him behind -

"You know, I expected her to put up a little more fight than this."

The comment felt like a knife through her chest - threatening to reopen all of her wounds.

Reaching for the door handle, she was instead forcefully turned around and pushed backwards against it - the unforgiving metal digging into her lower back while Cardin placed both his hands on either side of her head, pinning her in place.

Alarm bells were now ringing loudly as he moved closer to her, close enough that she could smell whatever cologne he'd put on before dinner.

"It's really not fair - you let her kiss you while I still get the cold shoulder?"

Trying to squirm away, he refused to move his hands, making it impossible for her to do much more than return his gaze with an icy one of her own.

"Life's not fair, Cardin," she snapped at him. "Go sleep with one of the bridesmaids. That should make you feel better."

"I don't _want_ to sleep with the bridesmaids," he growled at her before leaning forward and kissing her roughly, trying to force his tongue into her mouth.

Even though she was caught off guard, she still managed to lock her jaw shut. Turning her head to the side to separate their lips, she planted both hands on his shoulders and shoved him away as hard as she could - sending him backwards a step only for him to immediately come back, this time slamming both hands against the door with a loud bang.

"What else did you let her do to you, huh?" he asked - the look of greed and anger in his eyes finally releasing fear into her veins. Again, she tried to move away, but he was blocking any means of escape.

"Did you let her do this?" he breathed as he leaned in and kissed her neck, locking his hands around her wrists while she struggled to push him away - biting her lip to keep from screaming.

"Or did you let her do this…" he asked again, placing both of her wrists within one of his giant hands while he traced his other hand down her neck to cup her breast through her jacket.

"Or maybe…"

As his hand moved lower, she brought her knee up as hard as she could, forcefully connecting with his crotch. Letting out a loud yelp of pain, he instantly dropped her hands as he dropped to his knees, clutching his hopefully broken manhood. She stared at him for a second in surprise at what she'd just done, but that shock quickly disappeared, making way for rage.

"Fucking..._bitch_…" he spit out, pounding one hand on the ground as he stayed hunched over, unable to retake his feet.

"Don't you _ever_ touch me like that again!" she screamed at him while he clenched and unclenched his fists in anger and agony. "You can have all the sluts and whores you want, but _never_ think about touching me again. Ever!"

She was shaking now as anger coursed through her body, every bit of her wanting to kick him again while he was still down - to drive home the point she was making in the form of infertility.

With a loud groan, Cardin finally managed to drag himself back to his feet, although now standing slightly hunched over.

"What do you think is going to happen, Weiss?" he snapped before turning away from her, looking almost emotionally hurt by what she'd just done. "People will expect to see a little Schnee running around eventually."

He'd only taken several hobbling steps towards his vehicle before she turned around, ripping the front door open before running side - making sure to lock the deadbolt behind her.

Shrugging quickly out of her jacket, she threw it towards a butler who happened to be walking nearby before running to her room. Technically, she wasn't allowed to run in the house, but with her mother still knocking back drinks at the hotel, she ran as fast as her high heels would allow.

It was only when she was safely in her room, having slammed the door behind her, that she began feeling the aftereffects of what had just happened - the first being nausea...pure nausea.

Racing into the restroom, she immediately emptied her stomach of whatever food she'd managed to force down over dinner. And even when there was no more to come out, her stomach continued retching up nothing at all - not stopping until the muscles in her abdomen were sore from use.

When the episode had finally passed, she collapsed onto the cold, marble floor, scooting backwards until her back was pressed against the wall of the bathroom. Her hands were shaking uncontrollably - the rest of her body shivering even while she felt herself begin to sweat profusely.

Looking down at her right hand, she found that at some point over the past few seconds, she'd pulled out her phone - the device now clutched tightly within one sweaty palm as if she were going to call someone.

As if she had anyone to call.

Feeling anguish overcome her, she threw the phone across the small room, hearing it crack when it hit the opposite wall and fell to the floor with a crash.

Hopefully it was broken.

It was useless to her anyway.

Sinking her head into her trembling hands, the first sob slipped out, painfully loud in the small room as it ripped from her throat.

She had no more energy to fight - no more desire to be strong. So she allowed the heart wrenching tears to flow freely from her eyes while struggling to collect enough air into her corrupted lungs.

Was this who she was destined to be? Someone cruel and vindictive, with a heart made of ice? Someone who lashed out and humiliated strangers - who sought to destroy anyone who spoke ill of her?

Someone whose only understanding of love was that which was forced upon her by her husband?

Ruby…

Why wasn't Ruby trying to contact her? Why hadn't she tried to call or email or...anything?

Was it really so easy to ignore her after all this time? Was it really so easy to forget her and move on?

Because it wasn't easy - not for her.

Every second she spent in agony over what had happened.

Everywhere she went, something would remind her of their time together, serving only to remind her of what she no longer had in her life - what she'd never actually had a chance of holding onto.

How long she sat there, she didn't know...it was until her tears had finally stopped falling, her sobs finally quieting to soft whimpers of pain.

She felt raw...as if the thick skin she'd spent years building had suddenly been ripped away from her - her exposed flesh feeling every molecule of air brush against her like a blade being drawn against her skin.

Taking several long, deep breaths, she finally pressed her hands to the cold ground and pushed herself to her feet - using one hand on the wall behind her to keep herself steady. Moving carefully over to the sink, she rinsed the taste of bile from her mouth before splashing some cold water on her face.

When she looked into the mirror, she sighed at the person gazing back at her.

Red, swollen eyes...tear stained cheeks...hair a ruffled mess...she was quite a miserable sight.

Turning away, she walked slowly into her bedroom and mechanically changed into a pair of pajamas before turning out the lights and crawling beneath the covers.

Curling into a ball in the blackness provided by the covers over her head, she squeezed her eyes shut while trying to block out the images swarming to the surface of her mind. It would be another night with little to no sleep for her - forced to watch Ruby's heart break over, and over, and over again. Forced to watch silver eyes swimming with unshed tears - tears of immeasurable pain.

This was all her fault.

Ruby had trusted her...trusted that she would do something to prevent this from happening. She was the only one who could have kept them together, and yet she'd done nothing. Instead, she'd run from the responsibility, happy to live in their blissfully ignorant existence while it had lasted.

She wasn't like Yang or Blake or Ruby. She didn't get to make her own choices or follow her own heart.

And now, with no heart left to spare, she could feel her agony chipping away at her very soul.

There were fates worse than death...

And this was certainly one of them.


	26. Chapter 26

**The way I feel about this chapter is LOTS OF EXCLAMATION POINTS!**

* * *

The day of the wedding started out cloudy, much to her mother's chagrin. Grey skies threatened to send more snow their way, allowing the darkness of night to linger even as early morning began to fall away.

Poor weather would do little from preventing the ceremony from progressing as planned, however. So they'd arrived at the church early, as most of the last minute preparations would take place on site.

As soon as she'd walked into the towering building, she realized just how stubbornly life had continued to move forward while she'd been content to lose herself in Ruby. All the little questions she'd answered, the small errands she'd run...they'd seemed like nothing more than minor nuisances at the time, mere delays from spending more time with the brunette.

But all those decisions had culminated in today. They'd helped shape every little detail around her - from the flowers, to the bridesmaids dresses, to the ribbons and garlands...she'd had a hand in all these things, even if it had only been as simple as confirming her mother's decision.

As dozens of attendants rushed to and fro making sure every tiny detail was taken care of, every single flower in its proper place, she understood that this was very real. This wasn't a dream she would wake from - the wedding was happening, and it was happening in just a few hours.

If she'd eaten anything for breakfast, she likely would have lost it right then and there on the highly polished wooden floor.

After being given hardly more than a minute to see the inside of the chapel where the ceremony would take place, she was whisked back to a comfortably sized room located near the front entrance of the building. Her dress was hanging in one corner, still wrapped safely in its plastic bag. The other side of the room was composed of a large mirror with a table sitting underneath, cluttered with all kinds of hair brushes and makeup accessories. There were a couple of chairs placed directly in front of the mirror, as well as more comfortable recliners placed around the rest of the room.

There were two women already waiting inside for her, who immediately sat her down in one of the chairs facing the mirror before beginning their work on her hair and makeup. She was given no more instruction other than to 'sit still' while they buzzed around her, applying foundation, running combs through her hair while spritzing hairspray every so often.

By this point, she'd lost the will to care or to fight. As far as anyone was concerned, she was nothing more than a very realistic barbie doll - being dressed up and paraded around like the trophy she was.

One of the doors kept opening and closing as her mother went in and out several times - the woman twittering about in a frenzy this morning.

"The guests are arriving!" the woman announced triumphantly when her hair and makeup had finally been finished. Thankfully, she still looked much like normal, just a little fancier than usual. Especially her hair, which had been given a gentle curl that wasn't altogether unattractive in her tastes.

"Weiss, take a look."

Standing from the chair, she did as instructed and walked back to the door they'd entered through - peeking through the several inch crack as her mother held it open for her to look.

The guests were arriving, many milling about and talking to each other in the front entry of the church before making their way inside the open chapel doors to their seats. There were...a lot of people. A surprising amount, actually. She'd been told the final attendance many times, but seeing the guests here, in the flesh, was a different thing entirely.

Just as she'd been about to turn away, a flash of grey and green caught her eye, bringing her attention towards a familiar face within the crowd.

Mayor Ozpin had arrived, accompanied by a stern-looking blonde woman who could only be Glynda. And Glynda was...just as he'd described her. The woman seemed to be quite fond of him from her stance, but also made sure to maintain a set distance under public gaze. Her sharp eyes scanned the crowd continuously, as if searching for a threat lurking just outside her gaze.

As for the mayor, he was walking with the aid of a cane today, although she wasn't sure if it was for show or a necessity. But even with the cane, he maintained a youth-like energy that suggested he was in better shape than the rest of them.

While she was staring, the man's eyes caught hers through the narrow opening of the door. He gave her a small smile and a wink when he noticed her gaze, which she returned with the best smile she could muster under the circumstances.

At least there would be one friendly face in the chapel today…

"I'm going to check on the bridesmaids and groomsmen while you change into your dress."

Closing the door, she turned back to her mother as the woman prepared to exit through the only other door in the room - that one leading to another room where she understood the rest of the wedding party was waiting.

"I'll make sure everything is in order, then I'll be back to get you when the ceremony begins," the woman continued. "Use this time to collect yourself - you'll be a married young woman soon!"

When her mother disappeared into the other room, the two women remaining helped her into her wedding dress. After adding a pair of silver heels that disappeared underneath the train of the gown, she graciously accepted the 'ooh's and 'ahh's as the women fawned over their latest 'creation.'

Standing in front of the mirror, she supposed that she did look pretty. The dress was gorgeous, with the scalloped neckline and snug bodice still fitting like a glove - the alterations done just a few days ago ensured as much. Every single strand of hair was in its place. Makeup hid any hint of imperfection. The shoes added a nice sparkle whenever the dress moved enough to show them.

Yes, maybe she did look beautiful...but it was superficial.

The dress was heavy and uncomfortable, somehow managing to _look _expensive while feeling rough against her skin. Her hair was unnaturally stiff, its movement cumbersome and unnatural whenever she turned her head. And the shoes were incredibly uncomfortable - when standing or when sitting.

Such was the cost of beauty…

Satisfied that their work was done, the women began to pack up their items to leave her with her thoughts. While they were doing that, she picked a more comfortable chair in the room and sat down, making sure to smooth out the back of her dress beforehand to avoid any wrinkles.

Her eyes stared at the door her mother would come through to come get her - to take her into the other room where the rest of the wedding party was gathering in preparation of the ceremony.

Before too long, her eyes drifted down to her hands, which were clasped together in her lap on top of her white dress.

They hadn't stopped shaking since last night.

Taking a deep breath, she closed her eyes and tried to 'collect herself' as her mother had so aptly suggested.

This was it...this was the end.

She'd never thought that this day would be so difficult. Sure, she'd never imagined she would particularly enjoy it, but it never should have filled her with so much regret.

The door opened and closed behind her, but she didn't move a muscle to turn towards the noise in order to see the two women out. It seemed like such a big difficulty...to move even a fraction of an inch...she just wanted to sit here like this, with her eyes closed, trapped in this moment before everything would change for the worse.

As usual, Ruby popped into her thoughts - the bubbly girl who had shown her what it was like to be happy, to be loved...and to love in return. How incredibly lucky was she to have met such a beautiful person?

And how incredibly unfortunate.

If she'd never met Ruby, she would never know what she was going to be spending a lifetime without.

But...she would never trade their time together for anything in the world.

If she could have just one wish today, on her wedding day, it would have been to see Ruby one more time. To share a laugh together. To hear the girl say her name like she normally did.

'Weiss.'

She could practically hear the girl's voice now - so filled with love and adoration. When Ruby spoke to her, it was like she was the most important person in the entire world, like she was the _only _person in the world. What she wouldn't give to hear it one more time…

"Weiss."

The second whisper might as well have been a shout, the noise deafening in the quiet room. Her eyes snapped in the direction of the sound, spinning completely around in her chair while searching for what couldn't possibly be there.

But...standing there, right inside the door behind her, was a sight she never thought she'd see again.

Ruby.

She didn't move - she _couldn't_ move - for fear that this was just a dream, that the girl would disappear the moment she moved a muscle. Frozen to her seat, she was forced to watch as Ruby crept towards her - the girl also moving hesitantly, as if she might scare Weiss away by walking too quickly.

As the brunette circled around and stood in front of her chair, she turned to follow - eyes never leaving the girl's face. Ruby then knelt down directly in front of her, looking up at her with shining silver eyes.

They stared at each other for several seconds in silence. She wasn't sure what to say, what to do. There was still a very good likelihood that her mind was playing cruel tricks on her at the eleventh hour - dangling the beautiful girl in front of her just to be ripped painfully away.

Then, Ruby reached out and hesitantly took ahold of her hands.

Suddenly, the moment became very real.

Jolts of electricity ran through the palms of her hands, reviving her long dormant heart - the organ suddenly pounding wildly around her chest.

And panic set in.

Ruby couldn't be here - her mother was going to come to get her at any moment. Ruby couldn't be found here - it would make pointless all of the agony she'd endured the last several days. It would nullify her one and only chance to protect the girl from harm.

"Weiss…"

It was a simple whisper, but uttered so longingly...it tugged fiercely upon her heartstrings...it threatened to undo everything...

"Weiss, I know a lot of this is my fault…"

Her mind finally awakened, eyes blinking in confusion when Ruby turned away from her in pain - the girl temporarily releasing her from her silver-tinged spell.

How was _any_ of this Ruby's fault?

"I should have told you...ugh...I should have _said_ something…"

Ruby retracted one hand to run through her short hair in frustration - the temporary loss of contact torturous until the brunette grasped her hand once more. The girl stared up at her, eyes clear and true, more determined than she'd ever seen them before.

"I never told you what I wanted. For some reason, I just figured you would know," Ruby continued, voice steady as the words continued to tumble out. "But I want...I want _you_, Weiss. I want to be with you - i-in a romantic sorta way. I want to spend every second of every day with you. I want to be the last person you kiss goodnight...and the first person you kiss good morning. I want to do cheesy things like watch sunsets together from the clocktower and cuddle while watching scary movies. I want -"

"R-Ruby," she interrupted, even though she wanted the girl to continue talking forever - the sound so soothing it could lull her to sleep in a heartbeat.

But there was much, much more at stake here.

"You can't...Ruby, you can't be here - my parents...they'll -"

"Don't worry about me, Weiss! I don't care what they try to do to me - I'm fast, remember? They'll never catch me."

She could hardly breathe - her mouth hanging open in shock, her heart pounding in fear.

If only that were true. If only her parents' power was something that could be outrun - something that could be hidden from.

"I know I'm asking you to give up a lot...obviously I'll never be able to afford limousines or diamonds or -"

"No! Ruby - I don't care about any of that. I care about ruining your life."

But her words only succeeded in making Ruby clutch her hands tightly, gazing up at her with pleading silver eyes - silver eyes that were now swimming with unshed tears.

"Please...Weiss, you can't marry him. I know you don't love him...I know you love me!"

She did...god, how she loved this girl kneeling in front of her - more than anything else in the entire world. But...

"Ruby, I -"

Her words cut off when the door behind Ruby opened, her mother striding purposefully back into the room - ice blue eyes instantly locking onto the situation playing out in front of her.

"What are you doing here? You need to leave."

Ruby didn't even turn around at the words, standing up instead and leaning towards her. Before she knew what was happening, the girl was kissing her, soft hands brushing the hair back from her cheeks while the sensation of their lips pressed together melted her heart into a puddle of water.

"You can do this, Weiss. I know you can," Ruby whispered in her ear before being pulled roughly away by one arm.

"Get out _now_," her mother sneered, one hand squeezing Ruby's upper arm far too tightly as she dragged the girl towards the opposite door. Throwing it open, the woman looked left and right before spotting the person she was looking for.

"James, please make sure this _girl_ doesn't set foot inside the church again."

The man walked into the room, casting a quick apologetic glance her way before taking Ruby much more gently by the arm and turning to escort the brunette outside.

"Wait! Ruby -" she said, the girl turning around to look at her while being led away.

"Weiss -"

The door slammed closed then, blocking Ruby from view. The only thing she could see now were her mother's livid eyes boring straight through her.

"We'll discuss _that_ later," the woman hissed at her, taking her arm roughly and pulling her forward. She stumbled in her heels, unprepared to begin moving so quickly. Nearly falling to the floor, she managed to catch her balance at the last moment while she was dragged through the opposite door and into the next room.

Ruby -

The rest of the wedding party was already waiting for her - the bridesmaids and groomsmen standing in pairs in front of the doorway that would lead the way towards the aisle. A well-dressed man standing at the door with a headset in his ear was counting down before instructing one of the groomsmen forward - the young man extending his arm towards her mother before the two of them took their leave.

But not before her mother sent one last glare her way on the way through the door.

Several seconds later, the ring bearer, a tiny boy who was likely the prodigal son of some influential family, was sent on his way. Trailing him was an adorably dressed little girl carrying a bouquet of flowers studded with real diamonds. Cinder was next - the girl sneering towards her before exiting with Sky - the maid of honor and best man sent on their way.

Two pairs later, and the wedding march began to play.

Ruby was here -

Her father took her by the arm as they stood in front of the door, waiting for the expediter to give the signal that it was their turn to enter the chapel.

But her mind was elsewhere - through the doorway behind her where Ruby had been taken just minutes ago.

With a small nod, they were on their way, a bouquet pressed into her hands on the way out. Fortunately, her father took the lead in directing her out the door and through the entrance to the magnificent chapel. They stepped through the large open doors and under the towering ceiling of ornately carved wood. Beneath their feet lay a decadent, silver silk aisle leading the way to the altar.

Ruby had come for her -

Everyone's eyes were upon her now - the pews filled with strangers and vaguely familiar faces alike. There were so many people here...the entire room packed to maximum capacity.

Her throat immediately constricted with emotion and her eyes burned with tears while she fought to maintain her composure. Struggling to take even breaths, she could feel herself on the verge of hyperventilating as the altar grew nearer and nearer - Cardin, the minister, the bridesmaids and groomsmen...all patiently waiting for her.

The roses dotting the end of every pew, red as the sun before it sets on the horizon, were as beautiful as the day she'd gone to see them with Ruby - the first day they'd spent time together.

Everywhere she looked, she found another reminder of Ruby's eyes in the silver accents in every corner of the church - the threading in the path beneath her feet, the ribbon in the bouquet in her hands, the ties the groomsmen were wearing...

"Nervous?" her father asked quietly, whispering out of the side of his mouth while maintaining a smile.

She couldn't answer, feeling her own fake smile waver as she fought back tears.

"I know you'll keep him in line," he continued without a response. "This is a great day for our family."

This was exactly that - a great day for the Schnees, a great day for their business - for their wealth and power.

But it wasn't a great day for _her_.

Reaching the altar, her father released her arm and gave Cardin a small bow of respect before retreating to his seat in the front row beside her mother. Cardin took her hands as she stepped in front of him, facing him and only him.

His hands were rough...calloused...they were hands that could hurt and cause pain, as he'd so aptly proven to her last night.

But Ruby's hands...she could still feel their touch lingering upon her cheeks. They were soft...gentle...soothing and healing. Those hands could never hurt her...

"Dearly beloved, we are gathered here today -"

The church was dead quiet outside of the minister's voice, but her heart was beating so loudly in her ears she was surprised no one else could hear it. The man's words were nearly drowned out by the rapid thumping while she tried to breathe - slow, deep breaths.

Focus...focus, Weiss. Focus on the words the minister is saying.

" - marriage is not meant to be entered into lightly, but reverently, devotedly -"

She hadn't had the chance to tell Ruby that she loved her too...

"If any of you in attendance can show just cause why these two should not be wed, speak now, or forever hold your peace."

She didn't dare look towards the crowd to her right as the minister paused his words - the man patiently waiting for the objection that would never come.

One second of silence…

Two…

Three…

Four…

"With no one in disagreement, we shall proceed to the vows."

The man nodded towards Cardin, who dropped her hands in order to receive the slip of paper passed to him by his best man. Unfolding the page, Cardin looked at her with a grin before he began speaking, voice loud and self assured.

"Weiss, I love you, not only for what you are, but for what I am when I'm with you. I love you, not only for what you've made of yourself, but for what you're making of me. I love you, for the part of me that you bring out."

"I love you, for putting your hand into my heaped-up heart, and passing over all the foolish, weak things that you can't help dimly seeing there, and for drawing out, into the light, all the beautiful belongings that no one else had looked quite far enough to find."

His words finished, he folded the paper up and handed it over his shoulder to Sky. A smug grin crept onto his face while the women in the crowd let out soft 'aww's at his words.

She resisted the urge to roll her eyes at the boy's mildly insulting vows.

They'd taken the same literature course in college - she remembered just as well as he did having to dissect that very same passage time and time again.

But there was little time to feel disappointment in Cardin's lack of effort, for the minister was turning towards her now, motioning one hand towards her as signal that it was her turn to speak.

Turning around, she accepted the small folded piece of paper from Cinder's hands. She'd relinquished the item this morning to her mother, but only after sealing it with her family's own personal crest - not wanting to risk her 'maid of honor' reading them or swapping them out without her immediate notice.

"C-Cardin…" she began after unfolding the paper, watching it shake like a leaf within her trembling fingers.

The minister moved his hand slightly, silently telling her that she needed to speak louder.

Clearing her throat, she prepared to continue reading aloud.

She'd written the vows down so she wouldn't have to think about them - so she could just read the words off the page without thought or emotion.

But that was before Ruby had found her…

"Cardin," she began again, much louder this time. "Before I met you, I had no idea what love was. I thought it was just a silly emotion - something to be dreamt about but never found. But then...I found you, and everything changed."

"There was something so perfect about the two of us together - in the same way bees and roses coexist, you and I formed a flawless pair. But even so, I tried to run from those feelings...I tried to push them away, but they were inescapable...they caught me. _You_ caught me, without any effort, solely by being yourself."

Pausing, she took another deep breath before continuing, feeling her resolve shake with every syllable that left her lips.

"And now...w-whenever I'm with you...the days of winter become endless days of summer. Cloudy skies become clear. Rainy days become rainbows. Every second...of every day is a new rush, a new experience that I never grow tired of...because we have the type of red carpet romance the stars can only dream about. The sun looks down upon us and envies how brightly we shine. The moon grows jealous of the way we embrace the night."

"B-but...we pay no mind to those who envy us, those who seek to bring us down - for we have the one thing everyone struggles to find. We have love."

"And my love for you burns like a flame - a flame so powerful, no adversity on earth dares try to extinguish it. Be it natural disasters, powerful enemies, or the sands of time, nothing will ever touch the fire within my heart...the fire that burns only for you."

"I may not be able to make you many promises, but I can promise you this - when this world turns to dust, the one thing that will remain is my love for you."

As her words faded from the air, they were replaced by soft sounds from the guests to her right.

Glancing to the side, she realized that the women in the seats were teary-eyed, dabbing handkerchiefs to their eyes from her vows - including her mother.

Her mother was crying.

The sight was so shocking, for a moment she had no idea how to even process it.

But when she did, understanding hit her like a bolt of lightning.

The church was beautiful, the people in attendance were beautiful. Her dress, Cardin, the flowers, the sequins...all of it was beautiful.

But it was all fake - beauty that barely scratched the surface.

The most beautiful thing in this church was still clutched in her shaking hands - the tear-stained parchment paper containing her vows, the vows she'd never been able to say to Ruby.

If someone as cold-hearted as her mother could be moved to tears by the love the two of them shared...

When this world turns to dust, her love would still remain.

Her feelings for Ruby would never fade. She would feel like this for the rest of her life - she would feel this...empty...for the rest of her life.

She would have thrown away something _truly_ beautiful.

All for a name.

...a name she hated.

Carefully folding the piece of paper into quarters, she slipped it into her dress rather than hand it back to Cinder. Taking a deep breath, she clasped her hands together in an attempt to lessen their shaking.

She _hated_ being a Schnee.

"Cardin, those words weren't for you. They could never be for you and they never will be."

There were gasps and murmurs coming from the pews as she backed away from the dumbstruck boy - the grin suddenly wiped from his face.

She was going to leave this place now, but not without telling one more lie - the last she would tell for a long while.

"I'm sorry."

Not wasting another second, she turned and ran through the door to the right of the altar - having no idea where she was going except for _away_. The sounds of more and more voices speaking in confused excitement reached her ears before the door swung shut behind her.

Pausing in the hallway, she pulled up the skirt of her dress and unstrapped one of her heels - the shoes slowing her down remarkably. Throwing the first to the side, she was reaching down for the other when the door behind her suddenly opened and a hand grabbed her wrist tightly.

She let out a small yelp in shock as she was forcefully spun around to face her furious mother.

"_What_ do you think you're doing?" the woman hissed, fingernails cutting painfully into the skin on her wrist. "You're going to walk back in there _right now_ -"

"I'll do no such thing!" she shouted, twisting her arm in a futile attempt to free herself. "I refuse to marry him - and you can't make me do something against my will!"

"I _can_ do just that!" her mother yelled at her, yanking her forward - back towards the door to the chapel.

"I won't marry someone I don't love!" she yelped, digging in her heels and tugging backwards.

"Why not? _I_ did," her mother hissed back at her.

"I REFUSE TO BE YOU!"

The woman froze at her scream, which was most certainly heard by the guests inside.

But at least it had gotten her mother's attention, the woman halting her actions while turning back to her in surprise.

"I refuse to turn into someone who's so...resentful at the world! Who's consumed by appearances and wealth...you wouldn't know a nice, kind person if they slapped you in the face!"

Letting out a loud exhale, she temporarily ended her struggle to say the words she'd wanted to say for a very long time.

"Maybe you didn't 'deserve' to get stuck with such an 'ungrateful' daughter like me - one who doesn't enjoy throwing money at frivolous things and gossiping about others. But maybe I didn't deserve to be stuck with a mother like you."

"I _know _I'm not Winter," she said, her mother's gritted teeth only filling her with more defiance. "Yes, I said her name. She was _my sister_ \- I miss her too. But somewhere in your grief, you forgot that you had _two_ daughters. _I'm_ your daughter too!"

Taking another deep breath, she could feel every inch of her shaking in rage...fear...sorrow...tears welling in her eyes.

"At least, I was your daughter."

Ice blue eyes continued to stare at her, expression unreadable while the woman was paralyzed by the words. She took that moment as her opportunity to rip her wrist out of the woman's loosened grasp - quickly throwing her last heel away and bolting down the corridor, leaving her mother behind.

When she reached the end of the hall, the next corridor split into two directions - and she knew where neither led.

"Ruby!"

Yelling the girl's name, she waited for a second before choosing a direction and taking it, praying it would lead her towards the exit.

Another hallway, another decision. And no brunette in sight.

There was no one in the halls, everyone still inside the main chapel. And she didn't know where she was going - she'd never been in this part of the building before.

Panic was beginning to mount in her chest - bordering on hysteria as she searched for the girl.

"RUBY!"

The girl had to still be here, somewhere. She _had_ to be. If she wasn't...

Please, Ruby...don't give up just yet.

The hallways were becoming familiar - she ran faster, her chest burning from the unexpected expense of energy.

But, Ruby…was nowhere to be found.

The front doors were near, she knew that now. She was almost there.

Please still be here...

Slamming into the front door, she shoved with all her might as she pushed it open - being thrown suddenly into the cold winter air...wind blowing across her face as she frantically searched the outer grounds.

Hoping for a glimpse of -

Ruby.

Her throat made a strangled sound, somewhere between a sob and cry of relief as her eyes found the person she'd been searching so desperately for.

Ruby was still there - sitting on the curb, head in her hands, while Yang and Blake stood patiently nearby.

"Ruby!" she yelled, her voice echoing through the cold, thin air around them.

The brunette instantly jumped to her feet and spun around - their eyes meeting across the expanse of frozen space that separated them.

And then, Ruby was racing towards her. She prodded her feet to run as fast as she possibly could, using every last ounce of energy she had remaining to take her to the girl.

They collided together seconds later, their lips instantly locking while Ruby wrapped her up in a tight hug, lifting her feet several inches off the ground at the same moment. A small squeal passed her lips as she was spun in a circle, but that didn't stop their kiss.

She kissed Ruby how she'd always wanted to kiss her - free of her family, of Cardin, of the wedding.

Free of any guilt. Free of any pain.

When she'd exhausted her initial supply of oxygen, she ended the kiss to simply hug the girl, burying her face into Ruby's neck while being securely held within strong arms.

"Ruby, I love you," she whispered in the girl's ear before pulling away to gaze into silver eyes.

Why did it feel _so good_ to say three tiny words out loud?

"I love you too," Ruby replied with a smile brighter than the sun before pulling her back for another long kiss, both of them ignoring the snow that had begun to fall - giant, fluffy flakes of white landing in their hair and on their lashes.

Her feet may be frozen, her muscles weak, her eyes swollen from tears...

She may no longer be a Schnee…

But she was no longer alone.

"I knew you could do it," Ruby whispered to her, pulling away to gaze at her lovingly with those silver eyes - eyes filled with the unwavering belief that she would always be there.

And she could be. She _would_ be.

It had taken her far too long to realize that she could do anything for Ruby. She _would_ do anything for Ruby.

Because it was Ruby who made her heart beat. It was Ruby who allowed her to breathe.

It was Ruby who made her whole.

She pulled the girl closer, burying her face back in the girl's neck while breathing in the scent of roses.

"Please take me away from here," she requested softly.

The next second, she let out a small squeak when Ruby scooped her right off the ground. Hiding her face in the girl's shoulder in embarrassment, she allowed herself to be carried, bridal style, towards the waiting vehicle.

There was strength to be found in Ruby's arms - strength to leave who she had been behind. Strength to move forward on a different path, one that had not been dictated to her by her parents.

Strength enough for her to leave that world behind.

And she never looked back.


	27. Chapter 27

**You guys are so funny...the reviews of the last chapter made my day! Remember - 29 chapters total :)**

**Thanks again to everyone who's stuck this through and to those of you who leave the best reviews!**

* * *

"I'm pretty sure Ruby just set a world record with how fast she ran to you," Yang teased as they got into the vehicle, Ruby setting her down gently in order to open the back door so she could slip inside - which was, admittedly, a little difficult to do wearing a wedding dress. But the brunette carefully gathered up much of her gown and handed it to her before closing the door and running around to the other side.

Yang started the car and they pulled away from the sidewalk - quickly leaving the church...her family...Cardin...behind.

The small interior of the vehicle felt cramped compared to the limousines she was used to, like there wasn't enough air to breathe between the four of them.

But it was also warm.

The warmth was what she focused on - realizing just how cold she'd become after running out into the snow in nothing but her wedding dress. From her bare shoulders, to her fingertips, and especially her bare feet, she was feeling quite frozen at the moment.

Though her hands were quickly thawing as Ruby held them, the girl rubbing them softly in an effort to work more warmth into her stiff digits.

When she felt Ruby's hand slide over the cold metal band of her engagement ring, she instantly jerked her hands away, quickly tugging off the last remaining mark of her engagement and placing it in the first compartment she could find in the small vehicle.

She would have tossed it right out the window if it hadn't been worth more than several city blocks.

Only once free of the band did she feel truly free, as Ruby gave her a smile and pulled her into an awkward sideways hug in the backseat, the girl lending even more of her body heat in an effort to warm Weiss up.

The brunette snuggled into her shoulder, placing a warm kiss to her neck that released all kinds of butterflies in her stomach.

"You guys need to put your seatbelts on!" Yang called back to them, lilac eyes meeting hers for a split second in the rearview mirror before turning back to the road.

"Ooohh...the rarely seen, yet highly effective, big sister boner kill."

"Blakeeeee - come on, back me up here!"

Blake just giggled from the passenger seat, reaching over and patting her girlfriend's shoulder lovingly in response to the whine.

But Ruby obediently moved Weiss' legs fully into the seat behind the driver's seat before reaching across to pull the seatbelt across her chest and click it into place. Only then did the girl slide into the middle seat and buckle herself in, before promptly pulling her back into a hug.

"I can't believe I just did that…" she whispered, looking briefly away from Ruby's captivating eyes to watch the world outside the window pass by.

"Yeah, did you make it down the aisle or what?" Yang asked from the front.

"I made it all the way through my vows…"

The blonde let out a long whistle before ending it with a very succinct, very appropriate, "Damn."

She turned back to Ruby when the girl squeezed her hand, telling her in one simple little gesture that everything was going to be alright - everything was going to be just fine. She could feel herself trembling, the knowledge of what she'd done just now sinking in.

She'd walked out on her own wedding.

Ruby watched her intently for several seconds before leaning in to give her a kiss on the cheek - the sensation making her feel immeasurably better in an instant.

...she'd actually _run_ out on her wedding.

One of Ruby's hands was now creeping around her back, rubbing up and down comfortingly while everything sank in.

But she was alive. Still very much alive.

How Ruby always knew exactly how to make her feel better, she would never understand. But the brunette was working miracles - stealing anxious kisses from her lips, running a soft hand through her hair - undoing the hairdo the women from this morning had spent quite some time perfecting.

"Ugh...are you guys going to make out the _entire_ way home?"

The question cut into their moment as she quickly pulled away from the brunette - who seemed fully intent upon melting her right then and there.

"Just ignore her," Ruby whispered.

But she hid her face in the girl's jacket in embarrassment when Ruby tried to steal another kiss.

"Yang…" Blake began calmly. "Imagine for a second that I just ran away with you from my wedding - what would _you_ be doing?"

"Well, I would...this isn't about me!" Yang sputtered while Blake burst into happy laughter. "I would _at least_ sit on the other side of the car so the driver couldn't _clearly _see me in the rearview mirror!"

"Oh, you want us to move?" Ruby immediately asked, reaching to unclip her seatbelt.

"No!" the blonde shouted, earning laughs from her girlfriend and sister this time. "Just - we're almost home. Try to keep it in your pants a minute."

"What would you expect, she's _your _-"

"Hush! From the peanut gallery!"

A small smile appeared on her own face while the raven haired girl giggled in the front seat - Blake turning to give her a quick wink.

It was hard not to be amused by the blonde's larger than life personality - the girl always saying exactly what she felt at any given moment, with no qualms about how embarrassing it might be.

Anyone might be well served to take a lesson from the girl's book...but just a small one.

She felt Ruby growing nearer to her again - the warmth on her cheeks expanding as the brunette nuzzled gently into the crook of her neck. Ruby's soft breaths were blowing across her exposed collarbone, raising goosebumps along her arms that she hoped no one would notice.

And the girl seemed content to stay there, just like that, for the remainder of the ride.

Yang's eyes caught hers once more in the rearview mirror - the blonde studying her with an intensity that she immediately shied away from.

Apparently, some things had not yet been forgotten.

She stared determinately out the car window for the remaining few minutes - watching the giant snowflakes continue to flurry towards the ground while the buildings outside passed by. Her heart was racing - skipping and jumping with every little breath Ruby let out.

In no time at all, the surroundings grew familiar to her as they turned onto the same roads she'd been down what felt like a thousand times. However, instead of stopping directly in front of the apartment complex as she was used to, Yang made an additional turn - this time into the parking garage located underneath the building.

After pulling into one of the spots, the car was turned off and doors were opening. She was going to follow suit, but as soon as she reached towards the door handle, a hand shot out of nowhere and stopped her.

"Wait!" Ruby practically shouted before quickly unbuckling and shooting over to the other side of the vehicle and out the door.

She watched in stunned surprise as the brunette ran around the back of the car and pulled the door open for her.

"Ruby…" she murmured, unlatching her own seat belt and moving out of the vehicle, gathering much of the gown's skirt into her hands in hopes she wouldn't trip over it on the way out. "You really don't need to do that…"

"I know!" the brunette quipped, giving her a huge grin. "But I want to!"

Before she could say anything, the girl leaned in and placed a kiss on the top of her nose, shocking her into silence while Ruby took one of her hands and led her towards the exit of the garage.

She noticed again the small glance Yang gave her before the blonde walked ahead with Blake.

It felt almost like she was being...studied - as if Yang were trying to determine if she was pretending or not.

They had to exit the garage to the sidewalk before entering the lobby on the main floor where the elevators were located. A short elevator ride and quick walk later, and they were strolling through the front door of apartment 517 - being greeted quite enthusiastically by Zwei.

The three girls began removing jackets and shoes as soon they set foot into the apartment - hanging the jackets on a coat rack before tossing their shoes haphazardly beneath it and walking further inside.

It was then that she realized she had nothing to change into...because she had no clothes at all - no possessions except for the dress she was wearing.

"Um...hey Blake, maybe you could loan Weiss a change of clothes?" Ruby asked as soon as she'd removed her winter wear, having realized exactly what Weiss just had. "I think you're probably closest to her size…"

"Of course," the raven haired girl replied, giving her a smile before walking towards the bedroom, little Zwei happily trotting along behind her.

"I have some sweatshirts you can wear if you're cold," Ruby offered, taking her again by the hand and leading her further away from the door, into the heart of the apartment where the small dining table was located.

"I...I think I'm ok for now," she answered, glancing around the unfamiliar room as her nerves began to reappear.

While she'd _seen_ the inside the apartment plenty of times, she'd never actually spent much time in here. Really, she'd only been in here that one time when -

"Are you ok, Weiss?"

Her eyes found Ruby's when she heard the question, feeling the concern emanating from the brunette - the girl already moving closer in order to comfort her.

"It's just...I don't know what to _do_," she replied, more and more unease beginning to appear. "My entire life...my entire purpose...was to get married. Now that's gone and…"

She bit her lip, mind stumbling upon the crux of the issue.

She felt aimless.

"You don't have to worry about that right now, Weiss," Ruby reassured her, wrapping both arms around her waist and tugging her close. "You can think about all that tomorrow, or the next day, or next week - don't worry about it today."

Nodding her head, she was already feeling better with Ruby holding her.

There always seemed to be more purpose when Ruby was nearby.

"Are you sure you're ok with having a broke, unqualified girlfriend?" she managed to joke, instantly flushing when she realized she'd just referred to herself as Ruby's girlfriend, which was incredibly presumptuous -

"I would _love_ to have a broke, unqualified girlfriend!" Ruby replied with a laugh, the only answer she would ever need.

"Do you need a place to stay?" Blake asked, the girl setting a small stack of neatly folded clothing on the table as she returned to their conversation - glancing at Yang and immediately receiving a miniscule nod of approval for the suggestion. "I mean...I'm sure Ruby wouldn't mind sharing her room with you."

As Ruby nodded her head vigorously up and down, she felt tears threaten to appear in her eyes once again.

The offer was so generous...and so completely unimaginable…

Before she'd met Ruby, she could never have imagined that people would be kind to her when she had nothing - absolutely nothing - to offer them in return...

"I…" she began to say, entirely unsure how to appropriately accept such a kind and selfless gesture. "Thank you...that's very generous of you…"

"Do you really not have any money?" Yang asked, the blonde finally stepping closer and placing both hands on the back of the chair nearest her.

"Well, I have _some_ money saved up. When I was old enough, I opened my own bank account and have been stashing money there when my parents gave it to me..."

She'd only been putting money into that account because her parents expected her to spend much more than she was ever capable of. Not wanting to waste money by throwing it at expensive items she would never need, she'd been saving it instead. For what, she'd never known, but it had turned out to be in her benefit, after all.

"How much is in there?" Ruby asked.

"Oh, about…"

She paused when Yang and Blake inched forward nearly imperceptibly, both with avid curiosity in their eyes. Deciding that maybe she should keep that value from becoming public knowledge, she leaned forward and whispered the amount into Ruby's ear rather than say it aloud.

And the brunette immediately burst out laughing.

"Weiss! That's more than I'd expect to earn in a _lifetime_!"

"Ah, then she's definitely paying rent," Yang added with a grin before Blake elbowed her in the side.

"But...it's not enough to...spoil you as much as I'd like to…" she admitted softly, words trailing off while her cheeks flushed with embarrassment.

"Weiss…" Ruby responded, squeezing her hands and looking her straight in the eyes before continuing. "I didn't fall in love with you for your money...I don't care if you have none at all. I love you because being with you is like the greatest...the greatest _rush _I've ever felt in my life! It's like...winning a big race multiplied by a million. We could be homeless, but as long as we have each other, I'll consider myself the luckiest person in the world."

Standing there, still dressed in her wedding dress with their hands clasped together, it was almost possible to imagine that Ruby was saying vows of her own.

"Well...I may not be able to give you everything in the world...but I can give you all of me…" she whispered, cheeks flushing an even darker shade of red.

"That's all I could ever want," Ruby replied with a grin.

"I love you…" she said, suddenly not caring if Yang and Blake overheard - only caring that Ruby heard the words she'd wanted to say for so long.

"I love you too," Ruby answered, before stepping forward and kissing her again - one of those heart stopping kisses that transported her to another dimension entirely.

"Awww…"

The sound instantly brought her back to _this_ dimension, where an audience was still watching them - Yang grinning while Blake wore a small smile.

"They're so cute!" Yang continued, clasping both hands in front of her chest. "Looks like I don't need to kill Weiss, after all!"

Ruby took one look at her, undoubtedly watching her cheeks approach a deep shade of red, before turning towards her sister.

"Could you guys give us some privacy for a little bit? Like an hour - maybe two?"

Yang's mouth dropped open at the request.

"Are you kicking us out of the apartment?" the blonde sputtered in disbelief, glancing briefly to the side as Blake was already moving towards the front door to collect the jackets and shoes they'd just discarded.

Ignoring Yang's comment, Ruby turned her full attention back to Weiss - silver eyes revealing more concern.

"You look really frail, Weiss...like, you've lost a ton of weight," the girl whispered, eyes asking the question her words merely hinted at.

"I...haven't done a very good job of eating recently…" she admitted, watching the concern in Ruby's eyes amplify from the admission.

"I think Ruby still has a cherry you can have!" Yang called out to them from the door, where Blake was practically forcing the blonde's arms into a winter coat.

"Do you _want _them to sleep together or don't you?" Blake asked in a huff.

"I don't knowwwww!" the blonde wailed as Blake shoved a pair of gloves into her hands. "It's like I'm still super pissed at her, but also happy!"

Taking a deep breath, she turned fully towards the girls by the door, figuring this was as good a time as any to say her apologies.

And she did owe them a big apology.

"I'm sorry, Yang...for lying to you and...for everything I put you through. All of you. I just - I didn't know what to do…I didn't want to lose Ruby...but then I didn't want my family to hurt her...and it just became a complete mess..."

Turning her gaze towards her fidgeting fingers, she could still feel the weight of disappointment in herself for just how horrible she'd allowed everything to become - and how many people she'd managed to hurt in the process. Usually priding herself in making good decisions, it was remarkable how many poor ones she'd made recently.

But then Ruby's arms wrapped around her from behind - the brunette silently saying that she'd already been completely forgiven.

And when she turned back to Yang, she watched a slow grin appear on the blonde's face while a smile also found its way to Blake's lips.

Just like that, she felt her heart grow even larger - overfilled with love for all three of these girls.

The ones who, in terms of happiness, were wealthier than anyone she'd ever known.

With a nod accepting her apology, the raven haired writer then leaned over and whispered something in Yang's ear.

"Yup, completely forgiven - you two have fun!" the blonde suddenly said, practically dragging Blake out the front door while shouting behind them, "Ruby, we're borrowing your key to the tower!"

Blake grabbed the keyring off the table on their way out, giggling as the pair likely set off to add to the rumors of ghosts haunting Vale U.'s great spire.

In the sudden silence and privacy of the apartment, she turned back to Ruby, finding the girl still staring at her with a silly little grin upon her lips.

There was still so much that needed to be said...

"I...I left you a voicemail…"

She had no idea why that was the first thing out of her mouth, but for some reason she wanted to make sure the brunette knew she'd made an effort to reach out - as small as it may have been.

"Ah...yeah, Yang kinda...broke my phone…" Ruby answered, running one hand uncomfortably through her short hair.

"She - what?"

"Yeah, she snapped it in half...oh, but don't worry! She got me a new one right away - and it's _so_ much better than my old one," the brunette assured her hastily, having noticed her eyes widen in surprise.

Ruby then turned away, but took hold of her hands regardless.

"I was going to call, but I couldn't remember the last four digits of your phone number. I would have gone to your house, but I was...I was kind of worried you'd just throw me out before I could say what I wanted to say. Or your mom would. Or that asshole would be there…"

"So...I kinda...spent the last few days calling random people. Until last night, I finally got the right number! But then your phone was turned off…"

Her heart sank as she felt some of Ruby's anguish through the words, realizing that her phone hadn't been turned off - she'd just broken it by throwing it into a wall.

"And I was really upset...it was the night before your wedding and I would never have the chance to tell you how I felt. Yang said I just needed to forget you and move on, but I told her that I couldn't - I _wouldn't_ \- not without telling you what I actually wanted. So she looked at Blake, and they did that silent talking thing they always do, and then she said 'Alright - guess we're crashing a wedding tomorrow.'"

If she'd had any words to say, they'd disappeared by now - buried underneath the surprise that it had been Yang who'd suggested Ruby come find her at the wedding.

But then again, maybe it wasn't that surprising when she thought about how much the blonde loved her little sister...

"So I snuck in. But the church was so big, I didn't even know where to _start _looking for you...but I stumbled across James and he led me to that room...and then you were there...and then your mom…"

Ruby's lip was quivering now, and she dropped one of Weiss' hands in order to wipe away the tears filling her silver eyes.

"G-god, sorry, I didn't sleep at all last night. I-I'm kind of a wreck."

The sight of Ruby crying filled her with a strange feeling...something akin to hyper protectiveness - like it was NOT ok for those silver eyes to be anything but sparkling and happy. If it had been anyone else's fault, she would have made sure they suffered the full extent of her wrath.

But since it was _her_ fault, all she could do was try to come to terms with it - to apologize and make it up to Ruby in anyway possible.

And to make sure nothing like this ever happened again.

Reaching up one hand, she used her thumb to gently rub the tears away before letting her fingertips graze the girl's temple, brushing lightly through short strands of brunette hair. Ruby was looking down at her now, smiling while her eyes regained their sparkle in leaps and bounds.

"I'm so sorry, Ruby...I'm sorry for everything - but I promise...I promise to never make you cry again. Unless it's happy tears - I make no promises about happy tears."

She smiled when Ruby giggled at her little joke.

"You're completely forgiven," the brunette said, pulling her into a crushing hug. "Now come on, we should make you something to eat."

Before Ruby could walk away, she wrapped her arms around the girl's waist and pulled her close - burying her face in Ruby's neck while enjoying the smell of the girl's hair and the warmth radiating from soft skin.

From here, she could feel Ruby's pulse...thudding strongly with every heartbeat they shared.

"Can we just...stay like this for a little while?" she whispered.

"Of course…" Ruby replied softly, tightening her own strong arms around Weiss' back and pulling the two of them even closer. She felt Ruby rest a chin on her shoulder, and smiled when she heard the girl take a little sniff of her hair.

"I should probably help you out of this dress though…"

"Ruby Rose!" she gasped, feigning indignance as she pulled away to look into suddenly embarrassed silver eyes. "Just what kind of woman do you think I am?"

"N-no, not like that! I just - it just...seems like it would be uncomfortable!" the brunette sputtered, cheeks flushing red as she tried to explain herself.

Ruby relaxed when she laughed at how incredibly flustered the girl was - both of them quickly resuming the embrace they'd just been holding.

"I can change into the clothes Blake's letting me borrow…" she murmured into the girl's shoulder.

"You don't have to wear them," Ruby replied softly, causing her to raise an eyebrow when that seemed to be the end of the reply. "I-I mean, if you don't want to wear her clothes, I have tons you can borrow!"

The girl hugged her closer when she giggled again.

"I'm going to be really bad at this, aren't I..." the brunette moaned softly.

She leaned back slightly so that she could look squarely into Ruby's eyes, the lively pools of silver holding nothing but love and adoration for her. She could only hope that her own crystal blue eyes displayed her true feelings for the girl - that her own affection was so easy to read.

"Don't worry...we can be bad at this, together," she replied softly before pulling Ruby in for the first of many kisses she planned to share.

Because that's what they would be from this day forward - for better, for worse - for richer, for poorer - in sickness and in health...they would be together.

Not even death could part them.


	28. Chapter 28

A week after the wedding, her life was calming down immeasurably as she began settling into a new environment and a new routine.

There was a lot to grow accustomed to - new roommates, a new...bed-mate...new sounds, smells, and everything else that went along with moving to a new home.

The first day waking up in a strange bed had been quite jarring - even more so when Ruby had unexpectedly rolled over and wrapped her in a warm hug. But once the initial shock had passed, she'd decided that maybe, just maybe, she could get used to this.

While her life might have been settling down, the same could not be said for the rest of the world outside the remarkably thin apartment walls.

Ruby had done her very best to keep Weiss away from newspapers and the news in general, but one day, against her better judgement, she'd gone online to find out just what was being said about her, the wedding, and her family.

It was honestly surprising just how much upheaval she'd caused by not marrying Cardin. Many people were offering their own opinions from a social standpoint - whether denouncing her decision because Cardin was a 'catch' or praising her for it since he was a 'disgrace to mankind.'

But the most...interesting might be a good word for it...aftershock of her decision was the effect she'd had on her family's company.

The term 'turmoil' had been used in several articles to describe the current state of Schnee Industrial - a 'cruise liner without a rudder' and a 'planet without an orbit' had even popped up in some of the more creative editorials.

Each author either danced around or directly posed the same question - who was next in line now?

One piece had suggested that Cardin would still take over the company - that the Winchesters would remain successors to the most powerful position in Vale even without the arranged marriage.

Over her father's dead body, she'd thought when she read that. If her father was anything, he was prideful - and the prospect of the company leaving the family name outright would never be acceptable to him.

He would figure out a way to live forever before he even considered that an option.

The first few days after the wedding, she'd lived with a tremendous amount of fear as she expected hulking men in suits to break down the door and forcefully remove her from the apartment at any moment.

But, as more time passed, she understood that those nightmares would never occur. And she thought she understood why.

Unpredictable - that's what she was now.

Her parents would have taken her back if they knew what they could expect from her, but any uncertainty resulted in caution on their part. A great blow had already been dealt to the Schnee name in terms of general embarrassment and political unrest - they couldn't risk her doing something else to make front page news.

And, in this day and age of ubiquitous technology, they surely realized that it would be impossible to keep her quiet forever if that was against her wishes.

Even though she felt as if she owed them nothing - that her time served as their dutiful daughter was more than enough payment for the education and nourishment they'd provided - there was still a great amount of guilt weighing upon her heart for the difficulties she'd caused.

But whenever she felt that way, she would steal one glance at Ruby - her heart doing that embarrassing stutter step it always seemed to do - and she knew she'd made the right decision.

The right decision for _her_.

With Ruby on winter break and her employment status...well, she'd always technically been 'unemployed'...the two of them were able to spend nearly every waking second together. They'd ventured out shopping early in the week, one of the most peculiarly enjoyable experiences she'd ever had, and she'd purchased some new clothing. Nothing spectacular, just some reasonable outfits so she'd have something besides a wedding gown to call her own.

Not that she even still had the gown. Blake and Yang had taken it the day after the wedding to be donated - although...she would never know if the garment ever made it all the way to the thrift shop after Yang had suggested that they burn it instead.

What it was with that girl and fire, she would never know. But she'd only been here a few days and already the blonde had recommended they set fire to at least half a dozen items. Blake kept snatching matchbooks out of Yang's hands, but it seemed as if the girl had a neverending supply of them.

Without the wedding to plan or her parents to instruct her what to do, a majority of her time was now spent lounging around the apartment. And, even though she owned a modest new wardrobe, more often than not she found herself wearing one of Ruby's many sweatshirts.

Her personal favorite was the girl's Vale U. track hoodie - dark red with 'Vale Track' written across the front in large, blocky white letters. It was a little too large for her - the cuffs covering her hands and the hem falling a short distance past her waist, but...it smelled like Ruby.

And, on the very few instances when Ruby was not by her side, there was nothing better than being wrapped in something that reminded her the brunette was nearby.

Of course, right now she had the best of both worlds - wrapped in the comfortable sweatshirt while also enveloped within Ruby's arms.

They were laying on the sofa together - Ruby sitting behind her while she reclined backwards against the girl's chest. The brunette was playing with her hands, entwining and separating their fingers over and over again.

It was nice...lying here like this. There was no outside pressure - they could just enjoy each other's company in peace.

Just _being_ together was enough.

"Would you rather have ten fingers on your left hand and none on your right, or ten on your right...and none on your left?"

She let out a huff of air at the unexpected question.

Of course, _being _with Ruby always carried its own unique tune.

"What kind of question is that?"

"I dunno," Ruby replied from behind her, temporarily jostling her in what could only have been a shrug. "I was just curious."

"Hmm…I think...ten on my left would be better," she answered after putting far too much thought into the menial question. "That way at least I could still write."

"Smart, smart…"

There was a short moment of silence, with Ruby squeezing her hands tightly before releasing them again.

"What about toes?"

She giggled while rolling her eyes.

"Ten on my right foot. Then maybe it would even out," she answered quickly.

"You'd be a pretty weird human - all off balance like that," Ruby replied thoughtfully.

"_I'd_ be the weird one? What about the person who's _asking_ these questions - shouldn't they be even weirder?"

"Well, yeah...but everyone already knows I'm weird."

"Why wasn't I informed of that before I started...dating you?" she asked.

The word still caught in her mouth - feeling unfamiliar and unusual to attach such common vernacular to their relationship. 'Dating' just didn't seem to adequately capture what they had together...

"You shoulda done a better background check on my history then!" the brunette replied with a giggle.

Even though Ruby couldn't see her, she smiled - clasping one of her hands around Ruby's for a few seconds before releasing the brunette once more.

"Oh, speaking of history...how'd you end up doing on that paper I helped with?" she asked, suddenly remembering the final project she'd edited for Ruby at her house.

"Oh! Weiss! I totally forgot to tell you about that!" the brunette began excitedly, the bubbling energy making her pillow much less comfortable to lean against as the girl fidgeted around. "I got a perfect score! The teacher even asked if she could save it as an example for future classes!"

That response brought another smile to her face.

She could still write a mean paper.

Or...edit a mean paper...since she hadn't _technically_...

Well, whatever, she'd practically written it.

Another short moment of silence fell upon them, which she already knew would be short-lived - as either Ruby would break the quiet or she would.

The brunette began humming quietly while playing with her hair, a feeling she'd very quickly come to enjoy immensely.

She was convinced that the brunette's hands had actual healing powers, though the source of their magic continued to elude her. All she knew for certain was that when Ruby touched her, every superfluous thought in her mind seemed to disappear.

Not that her thoughts these days strayed too far from the brunette…

"I love you…" she whispered, just loudly enough so the girl behind her could hear.

"I love you too, Weiss Schnee!" Ruby replied, _loudly _\- the superfluous volume in the previously silent apartment causing her to cringe.

"There's no reason to yell...dolt."

"But I need to make sure everyone in the hallway can hear it!" the girl responded, although thankfully in a much quieter tone. "Because I love you more than winning races, than fresh snow, than -"

"Than desserts?" she cut it.

"...and more than desserts!"

"You hesitated!" she gasped, sitting up and turning around to find a blushing Ruby Rose sitting behind her.

"W-what? I totally did not!"

"You 'totally' did! Oh my god, you'd trade me for a cookie," she lamented playfully, falling back into Ruby's arms while placing the back of her hand to her forehead as if she suddenly felt faint.

"I just...I don't know why you and desserts can't go together! Why does it have to be one or the other?"

She laughed at the girl's words, knowing precisely what the girl was hinting at.

"Really? You're going to make another argument for allowing sweets in bed?"

"Is it really so bad?"

"Ruby, I woke up with chocolate smeared all over me!"

"Yeah but...I helped you clean that off…"

Her cheeks immediately flushed at the memory, suddenly very grateful Ruby couldn't see her face.

That morning would have made even Yang blush.

Or...probably not. Whenever Blake was around, the blonde seemed to possess an inability to feel shame.

They lapsed back into silence for a few moments while she mulled over what she wanted to say next. There was something she'd been thinking about for a couple days now, something she wanted to discuss with Ruby when the time was right.

"Hey...Ruby?"

"Hmm?" came the distracted reply from behind her, the girl gently playing with her hair once again.

"I've...I've been thinking...I have enough money saved to rent someplace reasonable for awhile...s-so I was thinking maybe I'd find my own place to live. I mean, n-not that it's not great staying here! I just, think this apartment wasn't really built for four people…"

Taking a deep breath, she exhaled slowly through her mouth before pushing forward.

"But I was wondering if maybe...m-maybe you'd like to live with me?"

Ruby's hands stilled - the sudden inaction shooting her nerves through the roof.

"I-I mean, only if you wanted to! Don't feel like you have to or -"

Her words were cut off when Ruby covered her mouth with one hand.

"I'd love to."

Finally sitting up, she spun around on the sofa to look Ruby in the eyes - finding the brunette grinning from ear to ear.

"You...you would?"

Why was that answer so surprising to her?

"Yes," Ruby repeated, nodding her head enthusiastically for emphasis.

"Even though I've never lived on my own?" she asked curiously.

"I've never lived on my own either."

"And I don't have a job?"

"I don't have a job either!" Ruby replied with an even bigger smile that she couldn't help but return.

"And I won't let you eat cookies in bed?"

"Woahhhh woah woah!" Ruby immediately said, raising one hand in the air. "Hold the phone there. That rule would move with us?"

The term 'us' made her feel amazingly light and giddy.

Leaning forward, she planted a kiss on Ruby's lips, hovering close to the girl once their lips had separated.

"Maybe you can...negotiate better terms?" she whispered, moving her lips against Ruby's while she spoke.

The brunette reacted in a flash, pulling Weiss backwards on top of her - making her squeal in the process. Now finding herself laying on top of Ruby, it seemed that the only appropriate next move would be to kiss the brunette again - which she very gladly did.

If Ruby's hands had healing powers, the girl's lips could reanimate the dead. And when both were upon her, as they currently were, there was very little that could break her out of the spell she fell under.

Someone knocking on the door was apparently one of those things.

"Wha -" she began to complain as Ruby shot up from the sofa to answer the knocks - much to her protest at being abandoned in the middle of their kisses.

She frowned at the girl racing over to the front door.

"Negotiation unsuccessful," she said with a pout.

"It's called a negotiation tactic, beautiful! I know how you get when you have to wait," the brunette called back to her with a grin, sending a wink as well before answering the door. "Oh...hello."

"May I come in? I would like to speak to my daughter."

The gruff voice brought her instantly to her feet as Ruby turned around to look at her - silver eyes asking if she should let the man in or slam the door in his face.

When she gave Ruby a tiny nod, the brunette stepped back and held the door open.

Into the room strode her father - dressed in a full business suit, likely having come straight from the office. Ruby's sweatshirt and the pair of jeans she was wearing were far too informal to be worn anywhere near the man's presence, which he immediately let her know with the disdainful look he gave her.

He was imposing as he'd always been.

She felt her hands begin to tremor while he stared her down, waiting for Ruby to return to her side.

"I'd like a moment to speak with my daughter. Alone," he directed towards the brunette.

It was polite, but it was also an order. However, Ruby didn't budge - not without looking to her first.

"It's ok, Ruby," she whispered.

The brunette squeezed her hand before walking into the kitchen. She breathed a sigh of relief that Ruby wasn't leaving the apartment - the girl would be just in the other room if Weiss needed her.

"How did you know where to find me?" she asked first.

"Did you really think you could have drivers under my employ take you somewhere and not remember the address?" he asked in return, directing the question back to her.

"James?"

The man scoffed at the name.

"My own personal driver wouldn't admit to knowing where this place was. But there were other options - and thankfully an easily persuaded woman on the first floor."

The only thing she could do was nod her head at that - the man once again proving his ingenuity at obtaining information. She'd never even thought of the trail of breadcrumbs she'd left leading right to Ruby's front door.

"Quite the life you're living," her father continued, looking contemptuously at the small room and the inexpensive furniture - his lip curling in unconcealed disgust.

"I'm happy here," she responded flatly - trying to dispel any notion he might have that living in these conditions bothered her. Because they didn't. It was actually _more _comfortable here than the sprawling mansion she'd grown up in.

"I can see that," he replied, eyes snapping back to her. "But I've come to take you home."

The words moved her a step backward, panic setting in as the nightmare she'd been dreading appeared not in the form of armed bodyguards, but in the form of the devil himself.

"No - I won't go," she said as firmly as she could. "And you can't make me."

She clasped her hands behind her back, trying to hide the fact that they were shaking in trepidation.

Not once had she ever spoken back to the man - nor had she ever even thought to do so. For as much as he'd sometimes coddled her, she knew him in business matters to be vicious...ruthless...and intimidating when things weren't going his way.

But Ruby was right in the other room...if Weiss needed her.

"Your mother wants you back at home," he said, watching her closely.

"I don't care what she wants."

Never was there a truer answer than that.

"You have a duty to your family -"

"I _refuse _to fulfill that duty if it means being _unhappy _for the rest of my life," she replied firmly, watching his eyes widen in shock since she'd just interrupted him.

But those words had brought anger into her veins, steeling her against the 'duty' she'd fought with her entire life - that she would _never_ give into, not if it meant giving Ruby up.

He was looking at her intently now, analyzing her as if she was...a formidable opponent, not just some child to speak down to.

A few more seconds passed before he nodded his head once.

"Fine."

Now it was her turn for her eyes to widen in surprise.

Had she actually just won that argument?

"But - you _will_ be taking over in my place."

"What? But...the wedding - and Cardin. I thought that he -"

The man scowled at her stutters, silencing her attempt at words.

"All the posturing - that he should still take over, that we were the ones who broke the agreement..._I_ refuse to hand over _my_ family's legacy to that _brainless bastard_ of a Winchester," he spit angrily. "It will remain in the Schnee name, or god help me I'll run the entire company into the ground."

She continued to stare at the man in shock - he couldn't really mean this, could he?

"Mother would never allow it."

"I think by now she's learned that the only thing worse than having an insolent heir, is having none," he replied flippantly, clearly not caring what the woman thought of his plans.

Opening her mouth to speak again, she found there were a jumble of questions struggling to get out - most of them beginning with one word.

"Why?"

For a moment, he looked pensive, as if actually caring about how he answered this question.

"I watched you bend to your mother's every whim your entire life. It wasn't until just now that I saw someone who might be capable of stepping into my place," he replied, eyes cold but...determined. "And if you _refuse_ to marry, then we might as well forego all tradition."

"But what if...what if I don't want to be a Schnee anymore?"

He laughed as if that question were ludicrous.

"Have you not gotten everything you wanted?" he asked her in return, waving one hand around the room they were standing in. "The partner you wanted, the living situation, the freedom?"

Thinking about Ruby and the last few days they'd spent together, she smiled and nodded - his lips curling in satisfaction at her answer.

Nodding his head again, he turned and strode purposefully back to the door, pausing for a second in the doorway to look back at her.

"Weiss, my dear girl, you are the very embodiment of what it means to be a _true_ Schnee."

With that, he walked out the door, swinging it shut behind him - but not before she caught his last words as he stepped into the hall.

"A Schnee always gets what they want..."

The apartment became ungodly quiet in an instant - well, quiet except for the sound of her heart pounding in her ears. She didn't move a muscle, frozen to the floor for who knows how long before Ruby came out to get her.

Jumping when Ruby wrapped her in a hug, she realized that she was shaking - pent up nerves searching for any means of an escape from her system. The girl must have felt them too because suddenly she was being led by the hand over to the sofa to sit down.

Ruby sat down close beside her, rubbing one hand calmly up and down her back while waiting for her to speak first. Not rushing her to speak...just calmly waiting, being there to support her through anything and everything.

Her initial thought was how this was almost exactly the same position they'd been in right before they'd first kissed.

How different the situation was now.

At that time, she'd been so broken, weak, and in pain.

But now...everyday she felt stronger, like she was capable of accomplishing anything.

As long as Ruby was by her side.

"He...well, you see...the women in my family never go into the family business," she began, trying to explain as best as possible so Ruby might understand. "It's always the men, whether they're married in or a 'true Schnee.' Cardin...Cardin was supposed to take my father's place, but…"

"But he wants you to do it," Ruby finished for her.

"Apparently…"

"Do you want to?"

"I...I'm not sure. It would be so much work - difficult and demanding work. And I'm not even sure I _can_ do it."

She bit her lip while thinking about it.

That path had never been open to her, so she'd never even bothered considering it as a possibility.

"Weiss, you're super smart - you're more than capable!" Ruby assured her happily, once again displaying just how much blind faith the brunette held in her abilities.

"Maybe, but…"

But what if she became like him?

"You aren't like your parents, Weiss...and you won't ever be like them," Ruby replied, somehow knowing exactly what most worried her about this new situation.

"How can you be so sure?" she asked, turning to take in warm, silver eyes.

"Because you have me!" Ruby replied confidently, before promptly dissolving into giggles.

But the response made her smile, something Ruby always managed to do.

And the brunette was right. She had something her parents had never been lucky enough to have - she had someone she truly loved.

Someone to keep her grounded - to keep her sane.

Someone who would always make her see that there was much more to life than money and power.

Grinning at the girl, she decided to let that decision go for now - there were more important things right here in front of her, after all.

"You know…" she began, slowly walking her fingers up the front of the brunette's shirt. "He did make an interesting comment about how 'a Schnee always gets what they want...'"

"Schnees only? What about me?"

"Well..._I_ want whatever _you_ want," she replied, leaning closer to the girl in hopes of stealing a kiss. "Which right now I'm hoping is the very same thing…"

But the brunette only kissed her lightly on the lips before pulling away - not allowing the kiss to grow any deeper.

"So…" Ruby snuck in between two more _highly_ unsatisfying kisses, the girl giving her nothing more than quick pecks on the mouth before moving away. "About...those...cookies…?"

She burst out laughing at the question - realizing that Ruby's negotiation tactics were actually top notch.

"Ruby, whatever you want, I'll give it to you," she answered honestly - speaking to more than just cookies in bed. "You're the single most important thing in my life."

The most important...and the most...real.

There was nothing fake or artificial about the brunette's feelings or abundant joyfulness. Ruby didn't have to pretend to be something she wasn't in order to make Weiss happy - and didn't expect Weiss to pretend, in return.

They seemed to be made for each other, in that way...fitting together in all their imperfections.

While the brunette grinned at her, abundantly ecstatic with her previous response, she leaned in to try to steal another kiss - again being wholly unsuccessful.

"Does that mean...ice cream in bed?" Ruby asked while once again pulling away.

"Yes…" she answered softly, being rewarded with a longer kiss for the permission granted.

"And...cake?"

"Yes," she responded without hesitation, earning another long kiss before the girl drew away again.

"Anddddd…"

Before Ruby could get out the name of yet another dessert, she grabbed the girl by the shirt and kissed her roughly - deeply - passionately - just a _little _bit irritated at their previous kisses.

Releasing the girl for a second, she looked deep into loving, mischievous silver eyes.

"_Whatever_ you want," she breathed.

This time, Ruby kissed her - a heart melting kiss that would have gotten the girl literally _anything_ she wanted.

As the kiss deepened and she felt her cognitive abilities begin to falter, one last thought managed to flit across her mind before the rose colored curtain fell shut -

If she ever walked down the aisle again...Ruby would be the one waiting for her at the altar.

~Rush~


	29. Chapter 29

**I know most you will probably skip this, but I wanted to say one last thanks to everyone who's read, reviewed, followed, favorited this story. As my very first venture into an entirely White Rose fic, I'd say that I love this pair so much more after having written this. And Ruby, as well - I totally fell in love with Ruby as Weiss was.**

**Anyway, here's the last chapter for you - until next time!**

**Totally forgot to add - there's a tiny nod to Mr. Blender in here, if any of you are also reading his story - A Faunus Born in Spring.**

* * *

"So...what do you think?"

Ruby finally met her gaze, the two of them sharing an equivalent expression of disbelief and amazement at what they'd just spent the entire day reading.

She'd finished some time ago, with Yang finishing shortly thereafter - though she suspected that the blonde had had the privilege of early access to some of the material.

Although, Yang tended to be surprising in many ways...being a quick reader could very well be one of them...

The last half hour she'd spent watching Ruby intently, sharing in the emotions that were passing across the brunette's face - her heart racing when that brow would furrow with the frown and lifting when a smile would pick up the edges of those lips.

When Ruby grinned at her, her muscles relaxed, unraveling the tension she'd been unwittingly holding over the past few hours.

Truthfully, she hadn't known what to expect, but it had turned out a lot more...re-livable...than she would have imagined.

"Well…" she began slowly, turning away from Ruby towards the chair Blake was currently occupying across from the sofa they were sitting on. "_Technically_ it wasn't a park across from the flower shop - it was more like a forest…"

Ruby nodded enthusiastically, immediately catching on to her little ploy.

"Yeah! And I run all the _long_ distances in track - not those little wimpy ones."

Blake shook her head at their answers.

"Those are just little details! What's important is the main theme - an heiress," Blake nodded towards Weiss, "falls in love with a peasant -"

"Hey! I'm not a peasant! I'm in college!" Ruby protested immediately.

"College student is basically the same thing as peasant," Yang replied, giving her younger sister a big grin from her seat next to Blake.

"But it makes it sound like I was homeless or something…" the brunette muttered.

"Ruby, you were sleeping on the _futon_ in our living room! You're lucky Blake 'gave' you your own room in the story," Yang replied with an easy laugh, tossing the stack of papers down on the coffee table separating them before crossing her legs and reaching over to grab Blake's hand.

"Still -"

"I _wish_ she'd had her own room…" she lamented, putting a quick end to what could easily turn into another long-winded argument between the sisters. "It would have been nice to have some privacy before we found our own place…"

"Hey, I saw _way_ more of you than _I_ ever wanted to too, Princess," the blonde retorted, instantly bringing a blush to her cheeks from the memories.

She now knew to _always_ knock on doors before entering, even if they were unlocked. And even then...sometimes it was best to take a second to listen before proceeding.

"_Anyway_," Blake cut in, silencing them both with a light glare. "It's about an heiress who falls in love with a _college student_. There's many obstacles placed in their way, but true love prevails against all odds."

Leaning against the back of the sofa, she could only nod at that last statement, seeing Ruby do the same.

The obstacles they'd faced had felt insurmountable at times...but they'd somehow made it. She gave full credit for that to Ruby - the brunette's resilience and courage seeming to be the only reasons why they'd managed to stay together.

After all, it was only through Ruby that she'd found the strength to do what she'd done.

"Should I be worried that the only _nice_ guy in the book has the same name as that dumb guy at the coffee shop who's always flirting with you?" Yang suddenly asked.

She laughed at the question, knowing full well who the blonde was referring to.

Boy, that guy _really_ got on the girl's nerves...

"Who do you mean?" Blake asked in confusion, clearly not having made the same connection yet.

"That guy who keeps putting hearts in the foam on your coffee!" Yang answered, making her girlfriend finally laugh in understanding.

"But he does the same for you, Yang!"

"That's just to spite me…" the blonde grumbled while the three of them laughed at her spike of jealousy.

"But the driver's name was actually James, right Weiss?" Blake asked, turning towards her once again.

"Yes, it was James," she confirmed, nodding her head for good measure to reassure Yang that Blake wasn't trying to pull a fast one on her.

James had been the only one in her entire house who had seemed to be on her side with...everything. She never understood why he held such a soft spot for her when most of her family's employees treated her so indifferently...maybe it was because he'd seen her mother slap her that one time…

Either way, he'd helped her in more ways than one, for which she would be eternally grateful. She'd made sure to reach out to him after the wedding - to thank him for what he'd done. He'd risked his job, letting Ruby into the church as he had...but there would have been no other way for Ruby to get inside, with the doors either locked or manned by suits checking everyone's identification against the official guest list.

"I just remember the look on his face when I set that letter on fire," Yang replied with a wide grin, having already moved on from her envy.

"Burning yourself in the process," Blake teased, causing her girlfriend to blush in embarrassment.

"Yeah...that's why I had to shut the door so quickly!"

"Serves you right," Ruby piped up from beside her. "That letter was for _me_. If _anyone_ was going to light it on fire, it should have been me!"

She turned to Ruby with wide eyes at that comment, causing the brunette to immediately backpedal.

"I mean - not that I would have! I would have read it, of course!"

Shaking her head, she smiled as she reached over and pulled Ruby closer to her. If Yang and Blake hadn't been around, she would have pulled the girl right into her lap, but...they had company, so...

"I'm going to change all the names," Blake continued, bringing her wandering mind snapping back to the conversation at hand. "But I left them so that it wouldn't be confusing for you to read."

"Nooooo, don't change Weiss' name!" Ruby immediately wailed. "It was one of the first things I fell in love with! Like 'oh, who's this beautiful, sexy girl with the beautiful, sexy name?' You can't change it - I love her name!"

"Do you now?" she asked facetiously, already knowing just how much the brunette loved her name.

The girl never missed an opportunity to say it, sometimes calling her from another room in the apartment just to say it out loud. And there was nothing more adorable than the little song Ruby had made up, composed entirely of her name.

'Weiss, Weisss...Weiss. Weiss Weiss Weiss...'

It always put a smile on her face when she caught the girl singing it around their home.

"I can't leave them the same. Everyone knows who Weiss is," Blake explained.

Agreeing with the author's statement, she nodded her head to Ruby in acceptance that they would need other names.

"Oh! Then can my name be 'Anna?'" Ruby asked, easily giving up her hopeless crusade.

After thinking about it for a second, Blake shook her head.

"I already know an Anna - it would be weird to give your character the same name."

"Aww...dang - I really like that name!" the brunette said, turning towards her with an adorable pout.

She patted the girl's knee reassuringly, knowing that their entire night would now be spent bouncing around ideas for names Blake could use for each of their characters.

"If you can think of another one, I'll use that -"

"Can my name stay the same?" Yang interrupted. "I don't think anyone knows me."

Blake sighed in exasperation at the blonde's request.

"Sure, your name can stay the same."

The blonde grinned at the answer, turning to her little sister and sticking out her tongue.

"Heyyyy, why doesn't she have to change her name and we have to change ours?" Ruby complained, falling into her sister's trap.

"Because it's my story and that's what I've decided!" Blake replied in exasperation.

"Well, technically...it's _our_ story…" she pointed out while gesturing between herself and Ruby, earning another sigh from the raven haired girl.

She'd been hesitant when Blake had first approached them to ask permission to write their story - not knowing how it would feel to have it immortalized in print form. But after reading what the writer had created, in just a few months too, she was glad they had agreed.

It was beautiful, heartbreaking, and inspiring all at the same time.

"Do you _really_ want everyone to know that these characters are you two? Because then I can just write a biography - _if_ you're actually honest about _everything_ that happened."

She looked at Ruby after Blake gave them a pointed look - the two of them sharing a silent conversation about that option.

From what she'd just read, the two of them had left out just a _few_ stories for the sake of not humiliating themselves...thankfully, the same ones. Like the time she'd instructed one of the drivers to take a hike while she and Ruby spent some...quality time...together in the parking lot of The Vale Baker after hours...

"No, I guess not…" the brunette mumbled while she shook her head in agreement, feeling a blush rise on her cheeks that hopefully no one would notice.

"You did capture my mother's character very well," she commented quickly in an effort to change the subject, the praise bringing a smile to Blake's face.

It had been a few months since the day of the wedding and the woman still had made no effort to contact her...which was just as well. Maybe one day she would reach out and see if they could salvage some semblance of a cordial relationship, but that was going to be a very, very long time from now.

And maybe, in her own peculiar way, the woman's silence was...well, certainly not _approval_, but...acceptance of some kind. Acceptance of what Weiss had done and where it had taken all of them.

At least, she could hope for as much.

"And Cardin's...that douche bag…" Ruby muttered from beside her.

Patting Ruby's knee, she gave the brunette a reassuring smile.

The girl had understandably flipped out when Weiss had told her what he'd done. She'd never seen Ruby get _that_ upset before - and likely never would again.

The girl had accompanied her when she'd gone to return the ring - which, thankfully, they had found in the backseat of Yang's car after much searching.

And Cardin was just fine. He was actually much nicer to her than she had expected him to be.

Thankfully, his parents had placed all of the blame for what had happened upon her and her family - allowing him to escape their ire completely.

He'd even expressed...a small amount of gratitude...that she'd extended his time to do whatever he wanted. And apparently, being left at the altar had given him an immense boost to his 'game' - something about playing the sympathy card and having girls all over him...

For once, she'd been able to listen to his words with far more amusement and revulsion than irritation, knowing that in a few minutes, she would leave with Ruby and likely never see him again.

Of course, when he'd requested a kiss goodbye, Ruby had threatened to stab him with a butter knife...

"Oh, but hey, how come your character was hardly in the story?" Ruby inquired.

"Because it was between you two and Yang as the protective older sister - I didn't play a very big part in your relationship at all," Blake responded easily - the answer having clearly been thought of in advance.

"A role I played to perfection," Yang replied with a smirk.

She shared a smile with the blonde, clearly remembering the conversation the two of them had held shortly after the wedding. Never before had so much bodily harm been threatened upon her - which she had readily granted permission to occur if she ever hurt Ruby again.

She might have even signed something to that effect...

"But what about that time Weiss and I walked in on you two 'doing it' on the kitchen table?" Ruby continued, oh so innocently.

Blake instantly flushed deep red while Yang burst into laughter.

"Not relevant to the story at all…" the author mumbled, slapping one hand lightly against the blonde's shoulder in an effort to quiet her.

"Oh _I_ think it was probably pretty relevant!" Yang responded cheerfully. "How else would Weiss have known she wanted to do the same with Ruby?"

Her jaw dropped at the comment, cheeks heating considerably, but she managed to force a scowl in face of the blonde's grin.

"That was _not_ what I was thinking."

"Weiss, you could hardly look at me without blushing for the next two days," Ruby said, giggling when she turned to give the brunette a look of utter betrayal.

"I - I was sunburned!" she sputtered, still trying to save as much dignity as possible.

"In the middle of winter?" Blake asked with a quirked eyebrow.

"I have very delicate skin, ok?"

She pretended to sulk while they laughed - not feeling victimized in the slightest by the way they teased her. More than anything else, it made her feel...included. This was her family now, which meant she got teased more often than not.

But she also fit in her share of playful jokes in return.

"By the way, Blake, I think there was a little bit of author bias," she began with a grin, the comment putting an immediate halt to the writer's laughter. "All of the scenes between Yang and I make it seem like I might actually sleep with her if Ruby weren't around."

Blake's eyes widened in surprise while the blonde instantly sat forward in her chair, clasping both hands in front of her in excitement.

"Like you wouldn't?"

She scoffed, but quickly realized she might have overstepped her means with this tease.

"No, I would not."

"Come on, Weiss, no need to play coy. Imagine an alternate universe - no Blake...no Ruby...you're saying we wouldn't get together just _once_?"

The girl was leaning close to her now, charm oozing from every pore in the blonde's body while stupidly pretty lilac eyes sparkled with excitement.

God, the girl could really turn on the appeal when she wanted to. She didn't understand how Blake ever managed to say 'no' when Yang wanted something from her...or maybe Blake just never said 'no'…

She was lucky Ruby seemed to have inherited only a small portion of that ability...or she would definitely be in trouble. Although...come to think of it...when was the last time she'd told Ruby 'no?'

"I like the book version of you better," she replied quickly, leaning away from the girl while Ruby's arms wrapped possessively around her waist and pulled her close.

"I do too!" the brunette agreed, nestling her chin comfortably on Weiss' shoulder.

"And if you want to imagine a world without me in it, that can certainly be arranged," Blake added, trying to appear unhappy but failing at it miserably.

"Oh come onnnn guys!" Yang wailed, pouting for a split second before a mischievous grin slowly appeared.

"Well, at least story-Blake wasn't such a high schooler. 'I think Weiss likes Ruby.' 'I think they like each other.' 'Do you think they like each other?'"

The blonde laughed at her impersonation of Blake while her girlfriend blushed profusely.

"I was _not_ that bad."

"Oh _yeah_ you were. You would hardly stop talking about it!"

"Well...it was like watching a love story unfold right in front of my eyes!" Blake finally replied in defense of herself, raising her hands in distress. "How many people get to experience that firsthand?"

"Uh...what about _our_ love story?" Yang replied, pointing a finger pitifully towards herself.

"Please, we have _literally_ the easiest relationship ever. There's never any drama," Blake answered dismissively, causing the blonde's jaw to drop in surprise.

"W-what? Well sorryyyyy about that. Should I start some drama or something? Spice things up? I could start flirting with that girl downstairs who always looks at me weird when we're picking up the mail."

Yang sent a subtle wink towards her and Ruby, clearly having no intention of following through on that plan.

"Do that, and I'll have her evicted for that horrible lizard she's keeping against the rules," Blake answered vehemently, the response making the blonde burst out laughing.

"But...would that be enough drama for you?" Yang prodded, a little too seriously.

Blake rolled her eyes while reaching over to squeeze the girl's hand reassuringly.

"Let's just stick to Ruby and Weiss' drama, for now."

"Hey! We don't have drama anymore!" the brunette whined, but Blake just looked at them disbelievingly.

"Please, Weiss is like a magnet for it - what with her father still trying to get her to take his place and -"

"She told him to take a hike!"

"I told him...that I would think about it," she corrected, although she liked Ruby's words much better. "And I still don't know what I'll do. Do I want to work with my father? Or do I want to do something on my own? I don't know yet -"

"But you don't have to decide anytime soon," Ruby quickly added, patting her hand lovingly.

She smiled, the brunette's unwavering support for her once again shining through. There were no words to describe how comforting it was to have the girl on her side, no matter what. She could only hope that she could provide the same level of support for Ruby, if it was ever needed.

"Right," she said, taking the girl's hand in her own. "As Yang so eloquently put it - I'm 'still loaded.'"

"I said - 'loaded as a hot potato,'" Yang reminded her helpfully.

"You'll do it," Ruby added confidently. "You'll be good at it! Plus, you could do some really great things being in charge of that company."

She just "hmm'd" and squeezed Ruby's hand, knowing that the brunette was probably right. But that didn't mean she wasn't going to make her parents sweat over it a little bit.

Plus, if she did agree, it was going to be on her own terms. She was willing to learn from her father, but she wasn't willing to become him.

Thankfully, with each passing day she could feel that side of her fading away - replaced by the sugar infused sweetness Ruby kept pumping into her life.

She felt stronger.

She knew what she wanted from life.

So yes, maybe she would take over, after all. But it would be with her vision - her goals.

And she knew she would have Ruby's support the entire way.

"Hey, how did you come up with the vows, Blake?" Yang asked, drawing her eyes away from Ruby's loving pools of silver at the sudden question. "Cuz those were really great - I loved 'em."

Blake's eyes flitted her way before beginning to answer.

"Oh, you know, I just kind of…"

"I gave them to her," she cut in, not wanting Blake to have to lie for her sake.

Her admission caused both Ruby and Yang to look at her in surprise, forcing a blush onto her cheeks.

"Those were my vows..." she explained in a whisper. "I still had the paper I'd written them on."

Several seconds of silence passed before Ruby finally said something.

"Aww!" the brunette gushed, giving her a quick hug and kiss that only intensified her flush. "That's _so_ cute. I need to read them again!"

She grabbed the stack of pages from the girl's hands before they could even be opened.

"You should have read them closely the first time!" she said, hiding the unbound book behind her back while Ruby pouted playfully at her.

"But I was so excited for what was coming next, I just flew right by them!" Ruby whined, sticking out her lower lip while Blake and Yang chuckled lightly at the girl's cries.

But she just smiled, leaned over and gave her girlfriend a kiss on the cheek, lingering just long enough to take a deep breath of the girl's rose scented shampoo.

She understood what Ruby was referring to, though. That part of the story had been particularly difficult to read - to relive. She'd also skimmed past it, looking forward to what had come next, outside the church walls - their reunitement.

She'd let Ruby reread the vows later…or she could recite them to the girl, by now knowing the words by heart. Or she could write an entire story about how she loved the girl, which she would allow Ruby to read freely.

There were no secrets between the two of them...not now - especially not when it came to how they felt for one another. They'd gone through more than enough uncertainty to allow that continue.

"Well, dang," Yang huffed in disappointment. "I thought Blake had written them for me!"

"Why would she write vows for you and have Weiss say them?" Ruby asked, wrinkling her brow in confusion.

"Because she's sneaky like that!"

"There _are _hidden messages for you, Yang, if you can find them," Blake replied, a mischievous glint in her amber eyes.

"Wh - really? Where? What were they?"

Blake and Ruby laughed while Yang continued to sputter in disbelief.

Leaning forward, she set the stack of pages she'd just read on the table separating them, letting the edge drop against the surface with a satisfyingly loud thump of finality.

"I love it."

"Yeah, I do too, Blake. It's really awesome," Ruby immediately agreed, squeezing her hand once more.

"Next bestselling author, right here!" Yang shouted, raising her arms and pointing both hands down towards her girlfriend.

Blake blushed at their endorsement of her work.

"Thanks, you guys…I'm glad you love it. You two are the stars, after all."

She and Ruby looked at each other - the brunette wearing a huge grin on her face. Suddenly, an idea popped into those silver eyes - something she'd learned to identify just recently.

"Oh, I _really_ loved all the kissing scenes, _especially_ the first one!" Ruby replied, making a kissy face at her and leaning over as if she might steal one.

She playfully pushed the girl's face away, causing Ruby to laugh happily while grabbing Weiss' hand.

"Yes, those were...intense…" she agreed, face flushing at the memory of what she'd just read.

She'd glossed over their first kiss, but Ruby must have given Blake the full details - or, more likely, Yang had pulled the information out of the girl somehow.

Because that had been very, _very_ close to what had actually happened - and what it had actually felt like.

And she would know - she still remembered that moment quite vividly. No matter how many kisses they'd shared since then, that particular one never seemed to fade away. She even found herself dreaming about it now and again - which she would die before ever admitting to Ruby.

She could only imagine the teasing that would accompany that confession...

Watching Ruby closely, she suddenly wondered what other...private...moments the girl might have spilled to her older sister. For some reason, she still felt embarrassed about what Yang might possibly know about her, but she really shouldn't by now.

Like the blonde had said, they'd seen more than enough of each other in...compromising positions...while they'd lived in the same space.

And a couple of times thereafter.

"I _really_ liked all the parts I was in!" Yang piped in.

She rolled her eyes at the obvious statement.

"Why don't you just ask Blake to write a book about you guys?" she suggested for the one millionth time. The blonde had been particularly jealous the last few months while her girlfriend had been working on their story.

"I told you, she won't do it!"

"I _would_ do it," Blake corrected. "But I would tone it down. _A lot_. And then you'd complain."

"Why fight the fire?" Yang immediately wailed to prove Blake's point.

"Why _write_ about fire when you can start one?"

She felt her face flush at the way Blake lowered her voice and practically purred the question - the two girls continuing to toe the line on what was and was not socially acceptable to say in front of one's younger sister.

But the words had their intended effect, instantly ceasing any and all complaints from the blonde - likely for good.

"And now I have something to read Weiss when she gets all old and forgets who I am!" Ruby added with a grin.

"Please, you're the one who's going to use it like an encyclopedia," Yang replied, leaning forward once again to make fun of her little sister. "Weiss is gonna to be like 'remember when…' and you're gonna pull out a little pocket version to look up what she's talking about."

"Will not!" the brunette shot back. "_You're_ the one with the bad memory - you would've forgotten Blake's birthday if I hadn't reminded you last month!"

Ruby clasped a hand over her mouth while Yang glared at her, the brunette having just spilled a...really not _that_ terrible...secret.

But Blake turned slowly in her chair towards her girlfriend, who was doing her very best to appear innocent.

"What's that now?"

With a soft chuckle, she sat back and listened while the three began to tease each other mercilessly, knowing that she would be pulled into the fray eventually.

It was still surreal to her - having these people in her life. People to tease...to care for...to love...who felt the same way for her in return. And it was unconditional - the way they loved her. Whether she was running some goliath company or spending all day at home baking cookies for Ruby…it made little difference to them.

They just wanted her to be happy.

And she loved them even more for that.

Turning her gaze back to Ruby, she found the brunette laughing while making fun of her older sister - face lighting up with the very same smile that had captivated her from the second they'd first met, silver eyes sparkling with unbridled happiness.

Just half a year ago, she never could have imagined that this could be her life - one without butlers, limousines, or mansions, but filled with joy, friendship, love...all made possible by the goofy, fun loving brunette sitting beside her.

Ruby Rose...

The one she'd stumbled into by sheer chance on that cold, winter day...the one who'd stolen her heart by showing her what love could truly mean.

The one who'd refused to let her blindly follow the path she'd thought was set in stone.

The one she would give up everything for.

And, as the small diamond ring tucked safely in her pocket constantly reminded her, the one she would marry.

The story Blake had written may have ended...but their happily ever after had just begun.


End file.
